Blessed reunion

Jacob is on a journey, with all his family, two wives, two maid servants, eleven sons, many servants and all his flock, heard and livestock.
So Jacob on his way, and the angels of God met him... Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
Genesis 32:1,3

And upon return, the messengers come to Jacob with word that Esau is coming to meet with him as well, along with four hundred men.

So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed... (v7)
Jacob has thought the worst... he panics for a moment. Plotting and planning how he will handle an attack. For he does not recall a parting on good terms.
And then he has the clarity to pray.

And in this prayer, he acknowledges that God has told him to return to this land... that God has given him all these blessings... that God has promised to make his descendants as numerous as the sand...

So he lodged there that same night, and took what came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother... (v13)
The next day, Jacob sent over ahead of him with his servants, every drove of livestock to appease Esau. Yet Jacob stayed behind another night of lodging.
Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. Genesis 33:1
And Jacob crossed over in front of his family, bowing his face to the ground... seven times before Esau.
But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. (v4)

This is a most beautiful reunion...
these estranged brothers, unknowing how the other will respond.  It is such an astounding display of affection, of raw emotion bubbling to the surface.
So many years have passed...
arguments waged inside hearts, whispered under breath, fought in imagination.
Yet now, the healing begins... God's favor is present, as the angels have walked ahead, to meet them in this place.

Maybe Esau would have run, embraced, fallen and wept just the same...
had there been no gift sent forth.  But maybe it was just the show of humility needed, just the honor restored, at just the right moment...
Surely the decision to pray by Jacob was a right one, for God changed hearts in that moment... both his and his brother's.
Word of God... train me, today...
to remember to turn first to God in prayer
before making plans based on only what I see...
based only on my limited circumstance.
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Lord God, You are certainly the giver of all.
I thank You for blessings past, present and future.
For they are not simply for my pleasure,
but also purposed to be given,
to be shared,
to be used to honor those around me.

Cause me always to turn to You first,
as my understanding is so limited in the here and now.

I thank You for Your wisdom...
as the greatest blessing of all.
May I be as generous sharing it...
as any blessing You give.