Lessons from Joseph's Life

A friend sent me this important reminder--from the life of Joseph--on dealing with unexpected detours:

There are three things evident in Joseph’s life that helped him deal with detours.

1. He was a man of integrity. His life was full of injustices but Joseph never compromised his integrity and truth.
2. He never lost sight of his dreams. He was able to see beyond the difficulties. God gave him a vision of what was to come: leadership. He never gave up on the big picture.
3. He trusted God. Regardless of his circumstances, Joseph did not loose his faith. Even while in prison Joseph was revered, honored and successful. Eventually, Joseph was reunited with his family. And he was second in command of all of Egypt-for close to eighty years. But for thirteen long years he was detoured from his dreams. For the person in the middle of a detour, every minute seems like a lifetime.