That time, that time, and that time too

...the God who has led me
      all my life long
                     to this day.

                Genesis 48. 15

These words that I read early this morning in Scripture have resounded in my heart the past few hours.  God reminds me of His faithfulness, the narrow squeaks when doom threatened, the long hard days that never seemed to be leading anywhere, even the times when it did not appear that a particular situation was going to end well.

And God redeemed.
And God redeemed.
And God redeemed again.

I love the account in the Bible of Joseph who did not just believe in God's faithfulness.  He knew it.  He lived it.  He lived expectantly in it.  Not "how is God going to get me out of this predicament?" but "ok, God, show me Your way in this, Your way through this."

Joseph learned to depend on God, deeper, deeper, deeper still.  Not just when all was rosy, but when he was cast into the bottom of a nasty well, working as a slave in a foreign land, imprisoned on false charges, estranged from family, and even facing years of impending worldwide drought and famine.

Not "why God?"  but "what, God?  Here I am."

And that same God who has been so faithful, who has strengthened me when I wanted to run in the opposite direction, who encouraged me to take yet another step when I had no idea what I was doing, the God who has led me my whole life long, even when, even then.  Remember that time when I was a little girl, those other times that things didn't just work out but were incredibly designed, and that crazy time when.... O so many moments come flooding over me.  Being led, even when I didn't know it.

He is still leading me.
Even now.
Even in this.