Day 731

When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream…in the morning his mind was troubled, …but no one could interpret them for him. Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me…now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us”…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. (Genesis 41:1,8-10, 12-14)

Every dreamer eventually has his day in court. It’s that miracle moment when the stars align, the trump card is drawn, the ship comes in and the rain stops. It's when a heart starts beating again. It’s the day the phone truly does ring and it’s no joke. It’s good news. Really good news.

For Joseph we don’t know how long he was imprisoned, but it’s clear two full years passed after he rightly interpreted the baker and cupbearer’s dreams. If you're counting, that's 730 long, lonely days. I imagine Joseph awoke every morning to a day laced with a hope the cupbearer might “remember him” and fell asleep every night lanced with a despair that, yet again, he did not. The first week was easy. “I’ll get out soon,” he’d wink at the Egyptian guard, “I’ve got a feeling my friend-you know, the cupbearer—he’s got my back.”

After several days, Joseph’s optimism remained strong yet tempered. Then as a month passed, then two, then three, perhaps he started to entertain delusional hopes. “I know it’s been a while, but there’s no way he forgot me,” Joseph said, with a forced smile, “besides these things take time. Probably a load of red tape involved.”

I suspect the anniversary date was hardest. One year of tortuous waiting had passed. “Where’s your ‘friend’ now, Joseph,” another prisoner chided, “and where’s this God of yours that you say remembers the lonely and lost?” It’s been a year. No one is coming. And even if they did, it would be with a death notice. Face it, Joseph, you’re toast.

And so the days pass.

38 days. 122 days. 243 days. 365 days. 399 days. 450 days. 504 days. 559 days. 613 days. 648 days. 702 days. 723 days. 730 days. Every day another hope. Every night another fear. What was God teaching Joseph? What was the purpose? Patience? That was day 328. Persistence? Completed day 201. Contentment? Passed the test on day 549. The tears had long dried. Any hope was evaporated. The dreams of a favored boy were now dead.

Until day 731. You can bet there was nothing unusual about the day, in particular. The same prison slop for food. The same sounds of complaint from a new crop of inmates. The same iron bars and hard bed. The same job as “Resident Inmate Morale Officer.” Joseph probably made the rounds, checked his list, followed protocol, submitted a report, smiled and headed for a shower. Life was pretty dull and an afternoon nap was now an anticipated habit.

“Hey Joe!” one of the Egyptian guards yelled, “we got a call to transport you to the Pharaoh.” If it was April 1, Joseph might consider the call a cruel joke. “Yeah, right,” he replied, “but nice try anyway.” Still the guard insisted it was no trick. This was for real. The king wanted him pronto. “Let me see those orders,” Joseph asked, and he read them twice—even a third time—for authenticity.

But it was no joke. The orders were real. Pharaoh sought an audience and after a shower and shave, Joseph was actually standing in the king’s court. This was no dream. This was his moment.

Like Joseph, every dreamer gets his day in court. So if you’re feeling locked away, hopeless and abandoned, take heart. God didn’t raise you from the river to destroy you in the desert. In His time, a day will come for you. In the Twilight Zone, it’s day 731. It’s the day luck looks your way and circumstance seeks a dance. It’s when hope offers a hug and life finally plants a kiss. The music swells, the clouds scoot, the weight slips and the sun smiles. You can breathe. You can see forever. You’re free.

It’s the moment only God could create and only you can inherit. It’s the power of the present. And it’s a gift just for you.

It’s your day…day 731.


NOTABLE QUOTABLES ON PATIENT ENDURANCE:

“Patience is the companion of wisdom." (Augustine)

“Experience is what you get when you do not get what you want.” (Anonymous)

"When the student is ready, the master appears." (Buddhist proverb)

“The crisis of yesterday is the joke of tomorrow.” (H.G. Wells)


Father, I patiently wait for our day when You reveal everything you have designed for my life. Even if I don't experience that revelation on this side of eternity, I will still cling to Your Promises. Even if the road never bringsmy puny dreams to life, I will rest in Your Will. Even if life never turns out like I'd have chosen, imagined or desired, I will not give up or give in. I will endure in patient hope that a better day will dawn--whether in this life or the one to come. Amen.