Better at Wandering

Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.” “Very well,” he replied. So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?” He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”
Genesis 37:12-16 (NIV)

This young man, Joseph, is gifted. God’s got a purpose for his life that’s unique. And yet in the text, Jacob tries to normalize Joseph in spite of the coat, in spite of the dreams, and in spite of the purpose attached to his life. Jacob tells him, “Go out to the fields, find your brothers, see if all is well with them and the flocks.” Maybe he’s trying to force a better relationship and connection between Joseph and his brothers. We don’t know, but we definitely know that God is shaping his life through some very tough arrangements and God is forging him through some tough experiences yet to unfold.  The beginning of it is perhaps going to be the toughest. 

His future is so clearly revealed. His purpose is so clearly defined. His life is so distinctly set apart. And yet we find him, in these verses, wandering.

Did you know that ordered steps don’t always walk in straight lines? One of the lessons Joseph’s life is tailored to teach us is about purpose and vision. It doesn’t mean you don’t love Jesus because you can’t figure out your next move. Purpose and anointing and calling and giftedness sometimes wander. Being called doesn’t always mean clarity. Destiny and purpose don’t stop you from having meandering moments.

If Joseph has clarity of direction and finds them in Shechem, he misses the pit in Dothan, the ride from the caravan of Ishmaelites to Egypt. He never passes through Potiphar’s house. He doesn’t go to jail. He’s not there two decades later to save his family in the midst of a famine.

Do you know why God allows some of us to wander? Because He knows where our wandering is eventually going to take us. Wandering in life doesn’t necessarily mean you are not where God wants you to be. Perhaps you aren’t lost; you are being led.