I Can See Clearly Now Series

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW (GENESIS 41:1-41)

Two years before our 2008 summer arrival in Hong Kong, my wife was restless and aching to return to her native Hong Kong, so a year later we decided to give the church a one year’s advance notice because it was hard to find a bilingual pastor, but the church board wanted to delay the announcement to the congregation for another six months. The USA real estate was at its peak in 2007 and my wife suggested we sell our house and move into an apartment, but I did not want to because it would alert and confuse the members. Furthermore, I did not want to move a year before our final move.

After that summer the housing market collapsed because of the many unaffordable mortgages people were walking away from. When the bubble first burst, I reasoned to my wife, “How bad can it get? We have made more than US$100,000. The worst is to lose what our house gained.” Within half a year, our gain was wiped out. By the time we left, we have negative equity of $170,000. We could not sell it because no one was buying.

Until today we ask our fair share of “What if?” questions. What if we had sold right away? What if we have moved a year earlier? What if I have listened to my wife?

Life is not a crystal ball, a fortune cookie or a psychic hotline. Not all questions have an answer and not all answers are satisfactory. Further, not all questions are worth asking and not all answers are worth knowing. Sometimes secrets are better left buried, history is better left undisturbed and questions are better left unanswered. They are better off known to God, taken to God and left to God. A song says, “Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand; But I know who holds tomorrow, And I know He holds my hand.”

Joseph did not know why he experienced so much heartaches, misunderstandings and garbage in life. Nothing made sense, everything went wrong and something was amiss. However, he did not think negatively, envy others and blame God throughout his ordeals. Instead, his faith in God was strengthened, his belief in humanity was genuine and his patience was rewarded.

What do you do when you feel life is passing you by, throwing you a lemon and spiraling out of control? What if you do not find help, deliverance or relief today, tomorrow or soon? What if things are unclear, unconvincing or uncomfortable? What is true when things change, time flies and people disappoint, as they always do?

Surrender to God’s Will

41:1 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream (Gen 41:1)

14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." 16 "I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." (Gen 41:14-16)

The Wall Street Journal reported the unusual case of a 35 year-old Japanese man who was so tired of doing nothing for five months at work that he sued his company. Toshiyuki Sakai was told by his bosses at video-game maker Sega Enterprises Ltd that his work was below par. They suggested that he quit and offered him a severance package of 2.6 million yen (US$23,900).

Mr. Sakai turned the offer down on the spot. He felt his performance was fine and that he was a scapegoat. Three days later, Sega told him to take home all his personal belongings, turn in all company property and report to an office dubbed the Personnel Room. To his surprise, he found a desk, three chairs, a bare locker and a telephone that could not make outside calls. He was also given no work to perform, allowed no diversions and ordered to stay in the room every day from precisely 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., with 55 minutes break for lunch. The company also barred him from bringing in personal belongings.

Life in solitary confinement took a toll on Mr. Sakai. He stared at the phone that hardly rang, at the digital clock that barely moved and at anything that occupied his time till the long day was over. His resolve to survive the day was often tested by his fear of returning the next. Every day, he got up from his chair, did leg bents, or stretched his back on the floor. Pretty soon, he was snapping at store clerks over trivial matters, sleeping for as little as two hours a night and eating nothing but ice-cream for lunch. An unnamed Sega worker at the same Personnel Room who was also going nuts after a couple of days said, “It’s just negative thinking- and more negative thinking.” (Wall Street Journal 9/14/99)