“29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land.” — Genesis 41 [KJV]
Joseph was a young Hebrew who found himself in the land of Egypt due to his brothers’ treachery. He had had a dream and they assumed it was a threat to them. In their bid to avert the dream, they sold him to some Ishmaelites who in turn sold him to Potiphar. In a series of events that followed, Joseph was imprisoned by his master, Potiphar.
It was in prison that two of the servants of Pharaoh were brought to join him after they had faulted the king. In the cell, they both had dreams of which Joseph successfully interpreted. One was killed and the other was restored to his place of service as he predicted.
Pharaoh had a dream two years on and Joseph’s timely interpretation saved an entire generation from perishing. The interpretation of the dream was that there was coming a season of great fatness followed by that of great leanness. Pharaoh, thus, had to put people in charge of storing their abundance in barns so they could have enough for their days of famine. And… that’s how Joseph was appointed the king’s second-in-command!
In life, there are fat seasons and lean ones. Every man’s life is made up of times of abundance and times of famine. These times of abundance, like those of famine, don’t last forever. It is up to each man to know the time his life is in… and act accordingly. It is up to a man to know that good times, just like bad ones, are time-bound.
Our lives will not be rosy all through neither will they always drown in poverty. In a man’s life are seasons of both despair and abundance. In the days of despair, he ought to know good times will come and when the good times come, he should know no season is ever permanent. Our lives are filled with mysteries of fat and lean seasons.
When a woman is in her prime, for instance, she is in her season of fatness. All the suitors troop her way. She has a great body shape. Her figure is such an architectural wonder. However, she should not be deluded by this wonder because it is only for a season.
As time passes, her season of leanness sets in. She loses her power of attraction. Her breasts begin to sag. Wrinkles ambush her face. She adds on a little weight and she begins to wonder about her architectural wonder. No matter how much work she may put into looking 16, life will still remind her she’s 60.
All the great things she could have done when she was younger become history. All the great advantages that came knocking at her door because she was young and energetic vanish into thin air. All the men who used to fantasize about her may not even look her way if she runs around naked. With our fat seasons come opportunities we need to exploit because when this season passes, our years of famine will set in and those opportunities may never come knocking again.
When a man is young and virile, he assumes life will always remain as such. Little does he know that it is his fat season; how he manages this phase of his life will determine how well he will live in his days of leanness (pension). When a man has the strength to work and make money, he should remember it is his fat season. That season is not one to be wasted because it is time-bound and the clock is ticking.
When you are fortunate to be gainfully employed as a young man, save. If you are blessed to have a good-looking account early in life, don’t misspend. Save the time you’d spend on fruitless relationships with friends and concubines with your family. Save the energy you spend on alcohol and drugs. It will, at least, save you from the package of diseases that come with them. Save your wealth in investments. Times will not be good forever!
It is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of poverty when you have tasted riches before. No man can define poverty any better than one who enjoyed life’s goodness in his days of abundance… but never prepared for his days of famine.
In your fat season, save. When times are great, be careful in your expenditure. Store your wealth in barns. Good times are temporary and bad times are not forever, too. If you save enough during your times of abundance, the times of famine that lie ahead don’t scare you. Joseph and the Egyptians had enough security and wealth in the days of famine because they had foreseen and prepared. When a man prepares for his days of famine in his days of abundance, his security is unmoved when others are perishing!
In your business, there will be fat seasons and lean ones. Save for tough times when times are good. In your marriage, there will be times of abundance and famine. However you can, save the good memories when all is well.
Life has this mystery of fat and lean seasons. It’s a mystery because it happens in no particular order. As unpredictable as it is, it happens to anyone; everyone. Today, you are at the top. Tomorrow, life hurls you down the bottom. Life may be all rosy today but no one knows what tomorrow brings. In your fat season, prepare for your lean season.
Life is not made of only fat seasons. Save. It is not made of only lean seasons either. Be hopeful.
By Kobina Ansah
Hello cherished reader, this is my last piece for2018. If you have any personal observation(s) or comment(s) about this column, kindly send me a message via kobinaamoaansah@gmail.com. Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2019! Cheers!