Divine Timing (KB)

In the Bible, we read that Joseph was given two extra years in Pharaoh’s prison in addition to the ten years he had already experienced. Now to any of us, this might seem like quite a tragedy. Not only was Joseph’s imprisonment unjust in the first place, but now he was given two more years on top of his already wrongful conviction and sentence. But let’s think about this situation in the context of the bigger story. If Joseph had been released after his initial ten-year sentence, he probably would have wound up being a great soothsayer or a great dream interpreter. It was only because of those extra two years that he was able to be in the exact right place and time to be able to interpret Pharoah’s dream, which resulted in his elevation to second most powerful man in all Egypt, with only Pharaoh as his superior. Essentially, those extra two years in prison allowed Joseph to achieve the totality of all that he could be. In our own lives, we often experience delays or setbacks or detours that bring us unexpectedly to different locations, to different positions, or to different environments. In response, we often say, “Why does it have to be like this? Why can’t I just get to where I want to be now?” Does our complaining get us anywhere? Usually not. In fact, we often put ourselves through a lot of needless suffering because we lose patience with our own process. This doesn’t mean that we need to remain in adverse circumstances or that we shouldn’t recognize when a change is required. What it does mean, however, is that we should trust that the universe is working for our highest good, that Divine timing is always perfect, and that wherever we are is exactly where we need to be at that time. When we can live with this consciousness and this certainty, then we can extend ourselves as much more secure and loving beings to those around us.