I ran across a verse in my Bible reading that’s been rumbling around in my brain ever since. Joshua had apprenticed under Moses, and had been instrumental in leading Israel. He and Caleb were the only 2 (of the 12) scouts who thought that Israel should move into the Promised Land. He was appointed by Moses to take command, was called by God to step into the leader’s role, and was actively serving. But in Joshua 3, God says this to him:
Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites.
Hmm, there must be more to leadership than position. I mean, Joshua was already leading Israel. The people were following him. They were poised on the verge of the Promised Land, and Moses had already given him the authority and responsibility of leadership.
But God says that there’s something more than wearing the leader’s hat that makes a person a leader.
I think I’m seeing that lived out in my life, too. I’m growing as a leader, taking steps of obedience, hearing God speak, taking risks…God says that Israel will see that He is with Joshua just as He was with Moses. I’m learning what that means…
I think this has implications in other areas of my life, too. There’s more to being part of a family than just sharing a living space and a last name. Annabelle is learning what it means to be in relationship, to be with family. We’re all learning together. Some of the lessons are saturated in laughter; some come sprinkled with tears. There’s more to this family thing than what’s on the surface. It takes more than an official ceremony, a government stamp, and a picture at the Nittany Lion Shrine.
We’re learning how to work through conflict, how to root for each other, how to listen, how to choose to be a blessing, how to live without demanding personal privilege, how to play and cry and sacrifice and share and love…all that and so much more.
The other day Annabelle was hanging out with Joyce. Kim’s screensaver kicked in, and pictures started appearing on the screen. As a family picture made its way to the forefront, Annabelle pointed to the screen and said, “That’s my family.”
The starting point might not be where we thought it was, but we are learning what it means to be family.
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