Joseph had a dream (Genesis 37).
Maybe he was excited about it. Maybe he was trying to get "street cred" with his older brothers. Maybe he was arrogant, and used his dream to "one-up" his brothers in the hierarchy. Who knows?
The bottom line is that he told his brothers (and his dad), and let's just say they weren't impressed, and that's saying it mildly.
The result of his sleep-and-tell was a trip to the pit and later Egypt, where he became a slave in Potiphar's house.
I imagine that he was "disappointed" (understatement) that his dream did not come true (yet).
He more than adjusted to his new digs; he soon rose in importance, becoming head of household - second only to the big man, Potiphar himself. Wifey decides she wants to "get to know" Joseph a little better, but he is not having it (or her). A woman scorned is dangerous, and sure enough, Joseph finds himself in a pickle, or rather, a prison cell.
While there, some inmates (a cupbearer and baker) have some wild dreams, and since Joseph is assigned to be the "boss of them" in prison, he hears them out since no one else will. His track record with dreams is not impressive, but he agrees to take a go at interpreting them. He lays a ground rule, though; "Don't interpretations belong to God?" (Genesis 40) And what do you know? Joseph's interpretation is spot-on. Sadly, the last one standing (cupbearer) forgets about Joseph as he returns to work.
Later, Pharaoh had a couple of bad dreams (Genesis 41). None of his wise guys can figure it out. But suddenly, the light bulb goes off in the cupbearer's head and tells the king the story about when he was in prison. Pharaoh acts on the tip and sends for Joseph: "I have had a dream and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it."
In considering he is 0 for 2 with regard to interpreting dreams and having it end well for him, I would imagine Joseph was a little hesitant. I mean, this is the big dog in Egypt. If it doesn't work out with him, Joseph is kind of out of options. But Joseph replies: "I am not able to," Joseph answered Pharaoh. "It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer." And He does.
This all boomerangs into Joseph now becoming sub-top dog in Egypt. Not a bad gig if you can get it. And as we know, there is a happy ending in the distance, and Joseph's original dream comes to fruition.
There are a couple of immediate takeaways:
1. God doesn't work in "right now" when it comes to His plan. Our timeline does not match His timeline, so even if all looks lost, it's not. Wait for it. (You already knew that, though. It's just a reminder for the day).
2. Even if you are marooned on "suck island" for the time being, you still have the agency to decide how you will act, what you will say, what kind of attitude you are going to take each day you open your eyes, and of course, how you will treat people. Joseph rolled with the punches. Wherever he was, he did his best and maintained integrity (honesty, moral behavior, hard work).
3. Never waste an opportunity to be kind. Even if. . .and most specifically, when you are slogging through a hard spot, dealing with a disappointment, fatigued (mentally and physically), and etc, you can still be kind. People generally respond favorably to kindnesses, particularly unexpected ones. Plus, kindness is kind of like an antacid. This is what I tell my students: It's hard to stay mad at or hold a grudge against someone who is being kind to you. It worked for Joseph; it can work for you too.
