The detour analogy is one that I have used many times in prayer ministry. I have experienced many detours in life and quite honestly I can’t tell you that I have navigated them all well. To be perfectly honest, I have been poorly navigating a detour for many weeks now, so much so that I have gotten completely off course with what I know that God has called me to do.
You see, blogging is not something that I would do on my own. On my own, I find it hard to believe that I have anything worth saying. The truth of the matter is, I really don’t have much to say that can be of value in the lives of others, but God does and he has chosen to use me as the vessel through which to say it. I have allowed the disappointments in life, the things that haven’t worked out the way that I thought that they would to silence the voice that God has given me.
I am thankful that the God that I serve has a sense of humor and that his timing is ALWAYS perfect! As I hop back onto WordPress to step back into my calling, what do I find…..my thoughts regarding the detour. Funny how something that you have used time and time again, that you thought that you had a “handle” on can speak to you at just the right moment. Prayerfully it will do the same for you.
You’re driving down the road in a hurry and anxious to arrive at your destination. You appear to be making good time as you look ahead and see it….that much dreaded detour sign. At this point you are faced with a decision. Will you patiently follow the detour sign even though it might mean arriving at your destination later than you expected, will you recognize the detour sign, but become impatient and plot your own course, or will you completely ignore the detour sign and attempt to navigate the road ahead ignoring the dangers?
Detour signs, while inconvenient and aggravating, are necessary for our safety and well -being. The person who chooses to follow the detour signs will arrive at his/her final destination healthy and whole. I want to challenge you to look at the detour signs of life in like manner. What are the detour signs in my life you may be tempted to ask? The detour signs we experience in life are often seen as “no’s”, closed doors, or circumstances that don’t work out as we expected.
Trusting and believing that God has a plan for our lives is essential if we are to properly navigate life’s detours. You see God has the road map, he knows every curve, every pot hole and every danger. It is his desire that we make it to our final destination safe and equipped for our mission. If we are to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, it is essential that we embrace life’s detours. Every “no” that we experience must be looked at as pointing us in the specific direction that we are to go. In God’s language no doesn’t mean no. Every no is guiding us to a better yes! If we refuse to accept the no’s we may be missing God’s best for our lives. More importantly, we may be thwarting our God-given destiny! I encourage you to remind yourself and others daily to embrace the detours!
Jeremiah 29:11″ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
beautifulmessofme.com 