Hey Dad-
Listen, I know you are getting really old and you’re starting to go blind like grandpa did, but I gotta level with you: I feel just a slight twinge of frustration at what you did to my family today.
I was expecting to have you simply bless my boys, not adopt them into your family.
And I was expecting the older one, Manasseh, to receive the blessing due to the oldest child, not his younger brother.
The least you could have done is told me you were going to do it but you tricked me! Not cool Dad. Not Cool.
You can’t just do that stuff to people!
And if what I hear about you is true, you’ve been doing stuff like that for a long time. You did it to Uncle Esau twice! Then you did it to Uncle Laban as well with those ugly striped sheep.
And let’s not even talk about why you did it! Ok, fine, let’s talk about why you did it.
Your reasoning was that mom died on the journey. I’m sorry that happened. I really am. I know you loved her. I loved her too. She was my mom you know. But that doesn’t give you the right to steal my sons and then give the wrong blessing.
Who do you think you are?
I know you said that the God of Great-Grandpa Abraham and Grandpa Isaac gave you a vision and all, but I have had some experience with him too. He stuck with me when no one else did. He worked all that bad stuff I went through for good. Shoot, for you!
You act like all he does is bless people he shouldn’t bless and create awkward family dynamics!
Sorry, I’m just a little upset at the moment.
But I’m not being totally fair. You did say that my sons would be great even among my brothers and I thank you for that.
“God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh”
I do like the sound of that prayer. I wonder how that will play out in the future.
Sigh, I guess what’s done is done. Trust me, I do not understand why you did what you did. But if I have learned anything in this life, it is that this God who has been with us, he can make something amazing come from something that seems terrible.
I guess I’ll just have to trust him.
-Joseph.
The Whole Dang Thing 