Wandering the Wilderness

Been around church for any amount of time and you most certainly will have heard the story of Moses. Even if you haven't been in church, you still might have caught the Charlton Heston version.

Moses was the Hebrew baby whose mother put him in a reed basket in the Nile River to save his life when the Pharoah was going on an infanticide rampage. Moses was found by the Pharoah's daughter and raised as her own. He was raised in a palace with servants waiting on him hand and feet. He was raised with gold and precious jewels, and all the food and clothing and belongings he could desire.

But Moses wasn’t Egyptian. He was Hebrew. And his fellow Hebrews were slaves in Egypt. They were being abused and neglected and dehumanized by Egyptian society.

At some point, Moses must’ve found out about his heritage. Maybe it had always been made known to him, maybe he had a sibling or someone who would even taunt him for how he didn’t belong there in the palace.

However he came to know that he was Jewish, the Bible states that as a young man, when he saw a Hebrew being mistreated, he defended him - even to the point of killing one of the Egyptian guards. Afraid for his life, he then fled into the wilderness.

Wilderness life must’ve been a shock to Moses. After the lavishness of the palace, he likely had no idea how to fend for himself, or live off the land, or even hunt and kill animals to eat. He went from being a prince to being a refugee, lost in an unknown land.

Thankfully, he was taken in by a family he encountered. They taught him their ways. They even gave him a wife. He lived with them for 40 years. He learned how to survive in the wilderness, how to keep animals and crops, and how to live within his means.

Then God appeared to him in a burning bush with a job for him to do: to lead God's people out of slavery in Egypt and into freedom. It was a daunting task and he argued with God but eventually he obeyed. God showed up with mighty signs and wonders, and the people were freed.

However, when the people struggled with faith and obedience, instead of going straight into the Promised Land, they spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness.

Another 40 years in the wilderness... 

It’s interesting and, certainly not a coincidence, that God picked as their leader someone who had just learned how to survive in the wilderness. They certainly didn’t know. They had lived in Egypt. Not in castles, but still - in busy cities. Yes, they had been slaves, but city life is much different than the rural life of wandering through a desert. Just as Moses had had to learn what life in the wilderness was like, so did the Israelites. But they had an advantage - they had a leader who had been there before them.

Are you wandering in a wilderness? Is it dark or frightening or unknown? Do you feel sometimes like you don’t know what you’re doing or how to navigate it?

Perhaps, like Moses, God is preparing you. He’s preparing you for the work you were created for. This time of wilderness wandering will give you the skills and the fortitude to do the work that He has called you to.

Remember that Moses wasn't alone in the wilderness. God was with him. And God provided.

Have you ever noticed how the most inspirational and world-changing individuals have been through some of the most difficult things?

Tony Robbins, inspirational speaker, came from an abusive home, as did Oprah Winfrey. Bethany Hamilton, world renowned surfer, lost her arm in a shark attack before her surfing successes. Senator John McCain was a prisoner of war before his career in politics. Michael J Fox started a Parkinson's Foundation after receiving a diagnosis himself, a foundation which has gone farther in finding a cure than anyone else. Nelson Mandela, Noble Peace Prize winner, spent 27 years in prison for opposing apartheid.

Even among those who are not famous, there are inspirational people. Some of the best substance abuse counselors are other recovering addicts. Some of the best reentry officers are people who are once in prison and experienced reentry themselves. Some of the best psychotherapists are people who have experienced trauma. Some of the best grief counselors are those who have grieved.

All of these examples are people who experienced periods of wandering in the wilderness and who came out stronger on the other side. Stronger, and more able to have empathy for and to help those who are still wandering.

In trauma work, we call this phenomenon post-traumatic growth. What would we call this in faith? Spiritual growth? 

I believe this is the journey God has me on. And I feel the end is nearing to my wandering in the wilderness. I think God is preparing me for something more.

My goal has always been as I document my journey of wilderness wandering through this blog that I will be able to inspire or encourage those who are also wandering. I still hope that, and, I am waiting hopefully to see where else this journey will take me.