All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father (Jacob) said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. Genesis 49:28
I want the best for my family. I think we all do. Yet, I cannot mold them into what I think is right, nor shape their lives to go a certain way, no matter how hard I try. I can influence, or at least make that effort, but where the seed falls is beyond my control. How much easier it is to turn over a stranger’s life or an acquaintance’s circumstances to God. But when it comes to our own family and the path they are walking, it is much harder, isn’t it?
Recently in Church we read the familiar story of the Prodigal. The loving Father gave unconditionally, even when he knew his son would go off and make mistakes. Yet the father remained steadfast, hopefully watching the horizon each day, believing one day that son would come back around, saving back the fatted calf, polishing the ring and stashing a set of dry clothes aside. It reminds me of the nursery rhyme, “Leave him alone and he’ll come home. . .”
Jacob knew his sons better than perhaps they knew themselves. He knew their traits, their tendencies and loved them all anyway. So did the father to the prodigal son. So does our Father in Heaven. Yes, I will keep on my knees. Yes, I will keep watching. I so much want the people in my family to each receive the abundance of blessings God has for them. I want them free of illness, free of pain, free of the consequences of their life choices.
But, Father knows best and He has it all under control. Just as He has for me and my life. Because, I know there those in my family who feel the same way about me.
