For Jacob…

I’ve been thinking a lot about Black men and how they are perceived by the rest of the world, how they are perceived by us (black women/the black community), and even how they perceive one another. It’s something to possess extraordinary greatness and be plagued by the frustration of trying to grab hold of what you know is meant for you; that thing for which you were born, but it remains just out of reach. It has to be equally frustrating to try to express what is in your heart, your true reasons and desires, only to be misunderstood or dismissed by those who don’t know you but judge you, and those who love you, but still don’t understand.

I’ve been thinking about Jacob. Jacob is the father of the Nation of Israel, you can find his story in the Book of Genesis, beginning around chapter 25. The thing about Jacob, is his story is told as the tale of two people. A low-down dirty trickster who would deceive his own family to get what he wanted, and a changed man (renamed Israel) who wrestled with God and was never the same. It’s the original Jacob that has been on my mind a lot lately.

He came into the world inferior. He was not the firstborn, and not entitled to all of the rights, responsibilities, honor and respect due to a firstborn son in any family during that time. But it was foretold as these twins struggled in the womb, that the younger, the second, Jacob was chosen.

It’s almost as if he heard and knew what was rightfully his from the start. Coming out of the womb he reached and grabbed hold of his brother Esau’s heel. He showed tenacity and strength even as he entered the world, but it’s possible that even then it was viewed as aggression or another unfavorable trait. Sound familiar?

As his story unfolded, it seemed that most of the world forgot about what was prophesied of Jacob, that he was chosen, special and great, and he seemed to spend his life struggling to reconcile what was inside of him– what he knew deep down, and how he was treated by the rest of the family and those who knew him. He was a prince, but all indications were that he was not the one to be valued or esteemed. He was dismissed and likely told to prepare to assume his rightful place in submission to his elder brother. But he knew that there was more to him than people were able to see or appreciate.

I’m sure his mother remembered, as mothers do, and she saw like only she could beyond the facts of his birth into the heart of his struggle. She saw who he was to become, and the seeds of greatness that were already beginning to sprout in his life. Mother and son were driven to secure for Jacob the place that they knew God had meant for him, but lacking wisdom, patience and trust in God, they went about it in a way that was destructive and painful to all involved.

What a mess! Their efforts only lead to further misunderstanding and alienation, eventually driving Jacob to run away for his life, falling into utter despair, depression and suffering consequences as he worked hard to get ahead. But those with the upper hand, namely his uncle, took advantage of his hard work and the unique favor on his life, while never affording him the recognition or advancement that he so deserved. Jacob worked twice as hard, twice as long, only to be grudgingly given what he had more than earned. Sound familiar?

But Jacob was chosen.

The greatness that was in his heart, that he fought so hard to attain was placed there by none other than God himself. The inability of some and the refusal of others to see and recognize who he really was didn’t change what God intended for him from the beginning. In fact, God allowed the rejection and the harsh treatment because it was a part of his journey. When it was time, things lined up like they were intended to be all along. The tragedy became sweet at the end of the story in a way that pain of a past that can’t be changed is felt, but the value of that pain is apparent.

You are chosen, Jacob. One day you will see in reality what you’ve always known in your heart. Your process and your pain won’t continue forever, but the darkness will give way to a light so bright and a future much greater than what you could have imagined. And you will know that you were created for this purpose and this time, and you were known and loved from the very start.

You are chosen.

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