Remember the fork-in-the-road scene that cropped up in the stories we read as kids? You know the one where our protagonist found him- or herself at the crossroads of two paths, one splashed in sunlight, the other deep in shadows. Don't pick that dark road, we'd think to ourselves. Of course, they nearly always did. If only our paths were so clearly outlined today, life would be a lot easier.
Sometimes it seems as if every path has it's own sunlight and shadows, and it can be hard to distinguish between them, that is if we are given a choice at all. Many times our lives are heading down a path we feel comfortable with, steady and certain, then suddenly we come across the orange barrels and everything comes to a screeching halt. Road closed. Follow detour.
This is no new phenomenon. Take a look at Joseph, now there's a man who knew a little something about detours. Sold by his brothers into slavery, he made the best of his situation by gaining the trust of his master, Potiphar. In turn, Potiphar gave Joseph increasing responsibility over the household. Just when things were looking good, Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph. Joseph stood strong, and did the right thing by both God and Potiphar, and turned down her offer. I wonder what Joseph expected at this point, maybe a pat on the back for warding off temptation, or maybe he saw those orange barrels in the distance before the situation landed him in prison.
Either way, I doubt prison walls were a part of Joseph's plan. He must have been feeling pretty lousy at this phase of his life. Everything becomes a bit clearer after the fact, when we see that each of the difficult detours in Joseph's life played a roll in positioning him to fulfill God's calling: saving his family and the entire country of Egypt.
When I graduated from high school, I attended a local community college with the intent of transferring to a university after two years. When the time came to transfer, I filled out all of the paperwork: registration, financial aide, the works. Two weeks before moving day, I received a letter in the mail. We regret to inform you, it read, we have overbooked our dormitories and you will not be receiving a room assignment. I was crushed. When I contacted the university, they recommended that I commute for several weeks. This would have worked well, except for the fact that the drive would be several hours long one-way. The prospects of returning to my community college for a third year didn't thrill me, but that is exactly what I did.
Over the course of that year, I moved in with my grandmother. This was never a part of my plan, but it was a wonderful time that I was able to share with her. The memories of our dinners together and evening card games will be with me for the rest of my life, and now that she has gone on to be with the Lord, I treasure them all the more. Eventually, I transferred to another university all together, where I met numerous devout Christians that greatly influenced my faith. The school I attended also offered me a chance to witness to people of other faiths, many of whom showed an eager interest in the gospel. Clearly, God's plan was more profound than my own.
If you find yourself staring down your own set of orange barrels, remember Joseph and take comfort in the fact that the hero of your story has already declared his promise to you... "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
