Swedes and Turks

Genesis 44:18 thru 47:27

It's been a sunny week in Hammamet, Tunisia. 

I've been homesick, to copy the word describing lackluster campers who've spent several weeks on a bunk far from home...

Gives me insight into Joseph's and Jacob's great joy in their reunion.

Did you ever attend a family reunion?

Seems to me, apart from the food (of course) the best part is belonging and feeling a part of 'my people'.

My people come from Scandanavia.

Three separate occasions this week I was asked by a Tunisian,

"Are you from Sweden?"

"Yes", I answered them all with a smile, glad my DNA was shining through several generations.

Back in Turkey, my husband was asked by more than one Turk, "Are you from Turkey?"

While he is not from Turkey, as far as we know, it is interesting how people want to fit others into a group-

into a family.

Wherever we go we carry our family with us. 

Joseph leaped enormous emotional baggage to reclaim his.

So this morning I was reading from the book of John and found a connection to the Torah portion.  Jesus is quoted in John 12:24:

"I tell you the truth:  If a seed of grain is not put in the ground to die, it will be only a seed.  But if it dies, it will bear many seeds."

Joseph went into the ground.

He was reborn in his father's arms.

I love the story.  It can be a personal one for each of us.

Thank you for reading Saturday Chores!

Shalom