Detours

Detours. Yesterday, my wife and kids had to go out to run some errands; doctor’s office, bank, grocery store, you know, just normal stuff. Well, on their way they noticed that the traffic was stopped in the opposite direction and decided to take an alternate route on the way back home to avoid the delay.

When the errands were complete, they headed off on their detour to avoid the traffic issues they saw on their way out. Traveling the back roads, they came across some construction in the small town they were traveling through that had the road down to one lane. The original traffic jam that they saw obviously increased the traffic on the back roads as others searched for a quicker path as well.

As they waited because of the construction, a train passed through the middle of town at super slow speed and eventually came to a complete stop across the intersection. They ended up waiting over thirty minutes to get through all the additional congestion caused by the train in addition to the construction. Needless to say, my wife was a bit perturbed when they got home.

But that’s life right?  Even our most prepared plans get detoured by things outside of our control. Sometimes what we see as inconveniences, are God’s way of protecting us or slowing us down. He may be keeping us from dangers we do not see and at times He may be putting us in the path of someone that needs us at that moment in time.

It reminds me of the story of Paul on his missionary journey when God did not permit him to go into Asia and instead directed him through a dream to go to Macedonia. “And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” - Acts 16:7-10.

Even though detours may be a nuisance at the time, God is in control of each and every situation. We need to learn to ask ourselves, “what does God want me to do as I face this detour in life?”  Allow Him to work through us in our moments of waiting.

Have a great day and God bless.