The story is told of a disgruntled little boy who, on his way home from school, stopped to visit Grandma. Sitting on a chair in her kitchen, he began telling her his tale of woe. Everything was going wrong! He was having trouble at school with arithmetic, and he didn’t have any close friends to play with. Dad’s job didn’t pay very well, and they owed lots of money because of his sister’s recent appendix operation. Besides that, their car air conditioner had quit working and there was no money to fix or replace it.
Grandma nodded, listening sympathetically to her grandson as she gathered various ingredients for the cake she planned to bake. When he stopped talking, she sat down next to him and, putting her arm around him, asked if he would like a snack.
His face brightened as he exclaimed, “You bet!”
Grandma reached for a tablespoon and a bottle. Looking at her little grandson she said, “Here honey, have some cooking oil.”
“Oh, yuck,” he replied in a shocked voice.
Picking up a couple of eggs, Grandma asked, “Well, then, would you like these raw eggs?”
Even more surprised and beginning to be just a bit frustrated he exclaimed, “Grandma, that’s gross!”
With a smile on her face she continued, “All right, sweetheart, how about some flour or powdered cocoa, or maybe some of this baking soda?”
In an exasperated tone, the little boy answered, “Grandma, those are all icky! They’re not a treat!”
Sympathetically, she sat down next to her perplexed little grandson and tenderly continued.
“You’re right, Honey. None of those things by themselves tastes good. But when Grandma mixes them together in just the right amount, stirs them up and bakes them, you get to enjoy a delicious chocolate cake. That’s what our wonderful God and Father is doing for you right now with all these things that seem so sad. He loves you and wants you to be happy. All these things are just the ingredients He is mixing together to give that happy life to you.”
The ingredients that God lovingly mixed together in Joseph’s life surely didn’t taste good sold as a slave by his own brothers, falsely accused by his master’s wife, a forgotten prisoner for two years how often must dear Joseph have wondered what good could possibly come out of such trials!
We see the happy results beginning in Genesis 41:40-4540Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. 44And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. 45And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:40‑45). Even greater blessing followed when Joseph’s brethren were reunited and restored to him. Perhaps Joseph’s ultimate joy is found in Genesis 46:2929And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. (Genesis 46:29): “Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.”
Ed.