In This Way: Showing Up Everyday

""Agreed," said Laban.  "Let it be as you have said."  That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons."  ~ Gen 30:34-35

Observations:

• If Jacob doesn't show up the work doesn't get done
• There was no one to watch Jacob's back
• By showing up to a dead end job, Jacob prospered
• Jacob couldn't trust his brothers-in-law
• Over time Jacob acquired servants
• Before he could afford servants, he had to consistently show up
• He showed up 
• even though his father-in-law sabotaged the deal
• even though his brothers-in-law aided the sabotage
• 150+ days to tend the sheep / goats of the saboteur 
• to absorb shrinkage (theft, predators, sickness) costs of flock (Gen 31:39)
• 150+ days before he had anything speckled, spotted or dark-colored (Gen 30:32-33)
• Laban said one thing but did another
• Lambs growing in bellies are God's business
• Creating atmospheres for fertile exchanges was Jacob's business
• He used someone else's infrastructure to escape a hopeless situation

Applications:

• Those who show up, rule
• Get up, clean up and show up
• Do due diligence
• Inspect what I expect
• Outwork blame
• Keep showing up until I can build my own team
• Working with people you found is different than working with people you selected
• Take your people with you when you go
• Learn something new each day spent waiting on the Lord to move
• I need to remember that not everyone is trustworthy
• Bad deals with untrustworthy people cannot stop my obedience to call

Prayer: You show up everyday, don't You?  Godliness in my life requires that I show up too.  Thank you for bringing Your "A" game and using Jacob's pain to push me to bring mine.