“But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3: 21-24
25
I am a Buffalo Bills fan. If you know anything at all about football you know being a Bills fan qualifies me for a discussion on losing. Last Saturday’s stress fest took us from potential super bowl winners to losers, knocked out in the playoffs once again. We are the ‘almosts’, the ‘what ifs’, the ‘blame it on the refs but we still lost’ fanbase. I know it is only a game, but sometimes it feels like the story of life.
I know in every game only one person or team can win. I know coming in second or top ten is supposed to make you feel good; but how many times can you go to the Super Bowl and lose (apparently four), and how many times can you make the playoffs without making the Super Bowl (apparently 24), before you just start to believe you are a loser. Like nothing you can do will propel you to where you most want to be?
I’ve been reading the story of Joseph from Genesis, you know the one: young, doted upon favorite child of his father gets the special multi-colored coat then gets sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Joseph’s life started out so promising. He had goals and dreams, literally. Dreams that someday people would bow down to him. Dreams that the same brothers who sold him into slavery would bow down to him. I wonder what was running through his mind as he sat in the bottom of the pit they threw him into? Or what he was thinking as the Ishmaelite traders tied him up and rode away with him, eventually selling him to Potiphar.
Scripture tells us that the Lord was with Joseph in all his trials and blessed all that he did. Joseph continued to live life according to the values and faith he had in his father’s home, not giving in to sin but fleeing from it. Even in the face of loss and the apparent death of his dreams he maintained a steadfast belief that God was still God. God was to be trusted and followed. His steadfastness landed him in jail, another drop into what could have been the pit of despair.
Again I have to wonder what he was thinking sitting in prison, falsely accused and judged despite his innocence. Certainly no one was bowing down to him in jail. Yet God prospered him and slowly lifted his status from criminal prisoner to second in command of the prison, though still a prisoner. God remained steadfast and so did Joseph.
Joseph had been in jail for a time, when Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker were apprehended and confined to the house of the chief guard. While there they both had dreams, nightmares that haunted them until the dreams could be interpreted. Once again, Joseph relies upon his faith in God, saying, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” The men relate their dreams to Joseph who interprets them with a simple request, “Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.” Genesis 40:14-15
How excited Joseph must have been when three days later the men were released and exactly what Joseph had said would happen did in fact happen. Surely he would be released now! But no, the cupbearer forgot all about him.
I wonder if Joseph waited eagerly the first few days after the release of the cupbearer, each morning thinking that today might be the day of his release. How many days did it take for that eagerness to wear off, for his hope to wane. Did he lose hope? Did his own dreams fade to nothing? Or did he sense God’s abiding presence with him? Did he cling to his dreams still believing that someday, one day, God would bring it all to fruition?
Genesis tells us it took two full years of waiting before the cupbearer remembered Joseph. Two years on top of the time he had already been in prison, on top of his time with Potiphar, on top of his time traveling with the slave traders and his time in the pit. Plenty of time to think and long for the way it used to be, or for his dreams to come to life, or for a change in his fortune. Plenty of time to long for things to be anything other than what they were.
What about you? What are you longing for? What dreams have slipped away? What have you lost? What hope propels you? How long is too long for you to still wait with hope? To continue to long for the day when wrongs are made right, and justice prevails? To feel more like a winner than a loser?The biblical account of Joseph encourages me to persevere, to believe through the hard times, awaiting God’s perfect timing.
Only in God’s perfect timing was Joseph where he needed to be, in the proper frame of mind to accomplish the hard task God had ahead of him. Years of losing his special status, years of longing for home and family, years of surrendering to the will and abiding presence of God, so that when the moment came, Joseph was ready to announce to Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” By this time, Joseph had surrendered his pride and impatience and knew beyond any doubt that he was not able to make anything happen, only God was able. And God’s power and provision were enough.
I don’t know if the Bills will ever win a Super Bowl. In truth, it is only a game and somebody always has to lose. I do know you need never feel like a loser when you put your faith in Jesus. Circumstances may vary, injustice will occur and at times you may find yourself in a pit not of your own making, but don’t lose heart! God promises to never leave you or forsake you. He remained with Joseph despite the trials and in the end, Joseph’s dreams came true. God is faithful and true, his steadfast love never ceases, his mercies are new every morning.
Today’s recipe is comfort food at it highest. Creamy and hot, I call it Surrender Lasagna because of it’s white flag appearance and because I first started making it to appease a few friends and relations that cannot eat tomatoes or meat. This delicious recipe is one my mom used to make. It is time consuming to make, and the preparation creates numerous bowls and pots to clean, but it is well worth all the effort.
Surrender Lasagna
(Also known as White or Vegetable Lasagna)
- 12 lasagna noodles, boiled
- 2 lbs mozzarella cheese
Ricotta Cheese Layer:
- 32 oz ricotta cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Fettuccini Sauce:
- 1 quart 1/2 & 1/2
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 16 oz parmesan cheese or Romano cheese
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1-2 Tbsp water
Vegetable Layer:
- 10 oz frozen broccoli florets
- 8 oz carrots, grated
- 1 medium onion, grated
- 3-4 small zucchini and/or yellow squash, thin sliced lengthways
Grease a lasagna pan, or a deep 13 x 9” pan. Boil noodles, drain well. Line bottom of pan with three noodles.
Mix the ricotta cheese layer ingredients together, stirring well.
In a saute’ pan, place about 1/2 cup – 1cup water in pan along with veggies and cook until veggies are soft. Drain well. I chose to microwave my frozen broccoli and drain it separately.
In a saucepan, heat 1/2 & 1/2, cream, butter and salt. Add cheese and stir until melted. If sauce seems thin, combine 2 Tbsp of cornstarch with 1-2 Tbsp of water in a small cup. Stir until it becomes pasty, then add to the hot sauce, stirrring well. This will thicken your sauce.
When ingredients for each layer are prepared, top noodles with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1/3 of the veggies, 1/4 of the fettuccini sauce, 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Add the next three noodles and repeat until you get to the top layer of noodles. Top the final layer with fettuccini sauce and mozzarella cheese and cover with aluminum foil. It is smart to use the non-stick kind! Bake at 350* for 60-70 minutes. Allow the lasagna to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving so it has a chance to solidify for neater serving.
This recipe can be flexible. If you have leftover veggies you want to use up, try different varieties. Many people use spinach, cauliflower, and mushrooms. If you want to add meat to this dish, sautéed chicken or sausage can be added in. Even bacon adds a lovely flavor.
This is a heavy dairy dish, be wary if you have any lactose intolerance.