As I typed this God revealed to me that some of you may feel isolated and attacked in the same way I just described how the black sheep is assaulted! Especially if you opened this book feeling your black sheepish ways are an indicator of your own trauma and brokenness. Well let me be clear, in some ways it is just that and you will have work to do with being able to heal from that trauma. (I am not here to stroke any egos and spirituality is not a substitute for practicality! Take the necessary steps to be better!).
But this is to be expected, since all of us fall short daily, (Romans 3:23, KJV), and absolutely no one can judge, lest they be judged too. To put it plainly, I cannot take shots at who I am, and I should not have the desire to. This book is about healing, understanding, accountability and growth. Anything else violates the spirit of the book, and you can take that negative energy somewhere else! You can pray with me, but you will not prey on me!
Okay, back to the regularly scheduled program!
With all that you have heard so far, you may be wondering why anybody would choose to be a black sheep? I for one do not believe you have a choice, and that is because part of your greatness is tied to it! Whether that was through acts of perceived defiance or rebellion or simply because they see the world differently; it is kind of just happened that way with me and other people I know. We just saw the world differently and were never comfortable acting like we did not! But who could love that? Someone who stands out when the goal of so many is to fit in! To NOT be noticed.
I know an example of a father loving someone others perceived as a black sheep, (Prophecy: this WILL BE your future also), and that would be the story of Joseph. Joseph was one of Jacob’s 12 sons. Joseph’s father loved him more than any of his other sons, who led to them selling him into slavery. (This is after they have decided to not kill him of course. Them boys were wild. See Genesis 37:18-36, KJV). Long story short, he was eventually taken to Egypt where he became a steward to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials. (He was really “started from the bottom now we here” before Drake made it popular for real)!
Can you imagine how Joseph had to feel going through that? It was not as if he was a bad person, or that he meant any harm to his brothers or father! But because his brothers saw him as a problem for them, and they treated him as such. Think about that for a second. The light God, (His Heavenly Father), placed on him, (which pleased his natural father), on the other side, hardened the hearts of the others around him. This light was not understood but was visible and this influenced the way he was viewed and treated! Which leads me to the next question; Why are you a black sheep?
Despite all that Joseph may have gained LATER, he went through a lot in those moments leading up to his “later”! I can understand anyone’s frustration with feeling like a black sheep with no understanding or belief in that “later” Joseph experienced coming! I can understand them wondering why God would even allow that situation to even experience those things! I am sure if Joseph could have had the freedom to pick his trials, he would never have chosen to go through any of that. He would have gladly traded that black wool for a lighter shade, under the belief that it would have caused less pain. The problem with that is clinging to our viewpoints in situations can inadvertently limits God’s infinite wisdom! We all want Joseph’s blessings and his favor, but we do not want to be a part of Joseph’s refining furnace, not understanding that the development of one comes with the other! God knew exactly who Joseph was even before Joseph had any idea of who he wanted to be! Can you even imagine who Joseph would have been without those trials? What would he have lacked as a leader, in a royal capacity for Potiphar? What key component would he have missed in becoming the man he would need to be for his “later”?
Sometimes we hate the trials and the storms that come in our life and for good reason. They suck. But keep in mind, God cares more about your character than your comfort. We never grow when we are comfortable. Pushing past pain and developing in a healthy way is a legitimate marker for progress! Confusion leads to clarity. You cannot fully appreciate the sunshine until you have been caught in the rain, and you do not realize the beauty in the rain until you’re sweating in the heat. Having Balance helps you commit to purpose! That is what is happening inside of you! So instead of being frustrated that it is happening to you, get excited over what is being developed as everything is going through you!