When God Does the Unexpected

February is a tough month for many of us. Right after Christmas, the store shelves start to be stocked with red and pink hearts reminding us that the “love holiday” is right around the corner.

We all want to be chosen as someone’s Valentine don’t we? We all want to be cherished, to be known, and to be loved. Instead of looking to greeting cards for expressions of love, can I encourage you to look for the unexpected expression in God’s Word?

There is a woman in the genealogy of Jesus we don’t often, if ever, recognize as being in His lineage. She isn’t listed, but she’s there none-the-less.

We meet her in Genesis 29:16. Leah is the oldest daughter of Laban, older sister to Rachel and the first wife of Jacob. As we read her story we learn that Jacob doesn’t love Leah and never wanted to marry her. Laban foisted Leah on him, eager to be rid of a daughter described as having “weak eyes.” Her very name means “cow.” Rachel, on the other hand, was “lovely in form and beautiful” and the object of Jacob’s love and desire.

Do you ever feel like Leah? Has your heart ever ached with the knowledge that you are not the first choice? Mine has. We know when others are the favorite, or the popular, or the beautiful. We know when we aren’t. Sometimes that knowledge just hurts.

This is why Leah’s story resonates with our story.

I am honored to share Leah’s and our story over at the Christian Community News Magazine. I hope you’ll jump over and join us there. There is a lot of great stuff here – Leah’s story is on page 14.

Love, Denise