In a children’s story called “The Little Red Hen”, the hen found a grain of wheat and decided to indulge in her God given ability to bake, so she planted the grain. She asked her friend the duck for assistance in the planting process but the duck said, “Not I” and went for a swim. She went on to ask the goose, the goose said, “Not I, I’m on my way to tell goose stories to the baby goslings.” Then she asked her friends the cat and the pig, who gave the same response, “Not I, we’re going out for beignets and tea”. And so it was as time went by, the wheat grew tall and it became time to reap. So once again the little red hen asked her friends, ‘Who will help me reap the wheat?” They all said, “Not I.” So the hen said, “I’ll reap it myself.”
Next it was time to take the wheat to the mill to be made into flour, so she solicited the help of her friends again, but they were all way too busy. Finally, it was time for the last step; she asked her friends to help make the dough and place it in the oven to bake. Again they refused, so the little red hen said, “I’ll mix and bake it myself” and she did. After the bread completed baking, the little red hen took it from the oven, placed it on the window sill to cool, then asked her friends, “Who will help me eat the bread?” The duck spoke right up, “I will”, the goose spoke with excitement, “I will”, the cat and the pig both spoke with glee, “I will”… The little red hen said, “No, I will eat it myself” and she did.
Even though it’s a comical fiction, isn’t life quite a bit like this… God gives us a dream, a vision or a great idea that we become passionate about. We burst at the seams with excitement. We so badly want to include others at the time of inception and to our dismay, we just can’t get anyone on board or genuinely interested. God gave Joseph a dream…. and when he shared it, he was hated, thrown into prison, left in solitude, even falsely accused… Through it all, he held on to his conviction, he held on to what God placed in his heart. In the end, God didn’t disappoint! Joseph was brought to a great place in his life; he went from being a slave to a prime minister, from “rags to riches”. God choose him to save his family as well as Egypt.
Unlike the little red hen, Joseph shared what he had. He could very well have chosen a selfish path, focusing on his hurts and his times of isolation and discomfort. He could have aborted or buried the dream not even making an attempt at it… When Joseph had no one else to depend on, he knew he could depend on God. He went to God for instructions, for strategy and executing his plans. He went to God for strength and endurance when he felt like giving up and giving in. He went to God when he experienced despair and depression crept in. Joseph learned how to turn negatives into positives trusting in God.
Like Joseph, as we learn more of how to lean on God, He will help us through the entire process of everything He’s committed to our hands. He will not say, “Not I”, He will say, “I am”… He is the great “I am”!!
Jer. 32:17 – Ah, Lord God! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you.
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