March 16, 2015 WANDER

According to the dictionary, to wander is to move about aimlessly without plan or fixed destination; to ramble; to roam; to lose one’s way; to drift away from a subject.

When I first chose the word “wander” my mind wandered.  I kept thinking about all the places I could go with this word.  We all know the story from Exodus where Moses and the Israelites wandered through the wilderness for forty years.  They knew they were headed for the promised land but there was no straight path and many distractions on the way.

The first thought that popped into my head when I saw the word wander was the hymn we sing the Sunday after Christmas, “I wonder as I wander”.  This hymn makes us wonder about why Jesus was sent here to save poor ordinary people when He could have anything He wanted “cause He was the King!”

Another hymn I accidently came across “Our Father We Have Wandered” tells how we have lost our way and have realized that we need to turn back to the Lord.  It goes on to realize that we will be welcomed back no matter how far we stray.  Just as the father welcomes his errant son back in the story of the prodigal son.

Most of us experienced our mind wandering.  When we are alone and relaxed sometimes we start thinking of things that have no relation to what is going on at the moment.  Some may call it day dreaming.  I often solve problems this way – your mind is cleared of thought that get in the way.  There is nothing wrong with this.  Sometimes I think we should take the time to wander – memories of the past hold answers to some of today’s problems.

Another aspect of wandering is noted in today’s young adults.  They wander away from the church and its structure as we know it and it’s upsetting to those of us brought up in a religion oriented society.  While they are seeking something they don’t know where to do or sometimes what to do.  Some go astray and take the wrong path but many are led back and end up wandering home.

Lord, let us wander but lead us back to you and rejoice that we are found again.  Amen.

Shared by Dorothy Kafalas