Suffering

This week a friend of mine prayed for my soon to be born third son to be a Joseph. She spoke of how he was a leader to his brothers. He was also a Godly man who helped lead Egypt in a time of crisis. He knew how to forgive, he was full of wisdom, he loved his own sons...there are just so many great qualities about him. As she prayed, I eagerly yearned for those same things for my little guy.

The thing that made Joseph so great was that he knew how to suffer. Throughout his life he had many horrible things happen to him. Without these things he never would have risen to a position that was just below the Pharaoh. God's hand was on him from the beginning through all of those hardships and misunderstandings. Not once does the Bible say that Joseph threw up his hands in anger yelling at God about how unfair life was. He just suffered through it.

This story drives home for me the importance of teaching my boys how to suffer. Life is not fair and there is always going to be some suffering. I want them to learn that it's okay to suffer, that good comes from suffering and they will grow from it. I want for them to run to God when suffering comes and not away from Him. I also want them to know how to suffer with others when they are going through tough times.

This is a hard thing for me to want for my boys, but the fruit that will come from it will be worth it in the end.