Detours: Divine Delays?

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Psalm 138:8 (NRSV)



 

Growing up, we took lots of road trips.

We had cousins to visit who lived in Georgia, Florida, and sprinkled throughout North Carolina.  

 

There were three things we knew before taking any road trip. 

 

Photo courtesy of raleighhappeningmag.com

1.       Never travel on Sunday. If you did, you’d more than likely run out of gas. Gas stations were not only few and far between, but also closed on Sundays. These were the days when folks went to church, came home, ate a big meal, then sat on their front porch rockers and relaxed. 



 

2.       Never leave home without a roadmap. Since there were no GPS devices to rely on, Mom was the navigator and Dad drove. (Every man needs a navigator on a road trip, and you know why!) Mom carefully plotted a course to our destination and marked it with a large X on the map. Then when the inevitable, “Are we there yet?” rang from the backseat of our Chevy station wagon, she’d open the map and demonstrate how much further we had to travel. (This usually occurred in five minute intervals.)    

 



 3.   Detours are inevitable. Every road trip consisted of at least one detour, a little hiccup on Mom’s carefully plotted course. There’d be that sign leading us on some alternate route through the middle of no-where, throwing us off course, and knocking an hour off our arrival time (This drove Dad nuts!). Despite the inconvenience, we eventually arrived to our destination.   

I could insert a fourth one here concerning how restrooms were few and far between too, and the necessity to carry a port-a-potty: the mayonnaise jar. But I’ll spare you the details.

Do you feel life leading you down some lonesome detour?

 

Be encouraged my friend, because…  

Photo by Gary

 

1.       You can travel on Sunday. There are plenty of gas stations. God wants to refill your tank. He wants you to relax, take time for yourself, and enjoy your life.

Several months after my granddaughters moved in, I quit my job and my volunteer work. Keeping up with a two- and a three-year-old zapped all of my energy. Raising little ones after your children are grown takes a major adjustment. Trust me, it ain’t easy!

About a year after the girls moved in, I took a part time job at my favorite gift store, Vanda’s. I loved the owner and had been a regular patron there for years. Vanda’s provided me the opportunity to work in an environment full of pretty things, gourmet chocolates, and divine fragrances. (It was girly heaven!) It also provided an outlet to have a breather a few hours a week. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my granddaughters but I also craved adult conversation and interaction apart from The Wiggles and Sesame Street.

2.       God has supplied your GPS: the Bible. In it, He promises you were created for a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11). He instilled each of us with desires and aspirations. Jesus cares. Your passions matter to Him.

There were lots of days I wondered if I’d ever have a “life” again. After all, I’d raised my own children, and now my grandchildren, too. About a year after I started working at the gift shop I accepted a part-time job (that later evolved into a full-time position) working in children’s ministry at the church I attended at the time.

Next, I began pursuing a passion of mine I’d had since the 5^th grade. Writing. I joined a local writer’s critique group, Word Weavers International, and began writing articles, short stories, and even started this blog.

3.       Detours are inevitable, but your destination is still attainable. Just like when I was a kid traveling on vacation with my parents, we’d find ourselves taking some backwoods detour, yet we’d always arrive at our destination. A little later than expected, but we’d eventually get there.

Sometimes detours are meant to get our attention.

For instance, look at Saul’s life on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9)

God knows where each of our paths will ultimately lead. Your detour could be God’s divine way of protecting and redirecting you down a better path.


Photo courtesy of foreveryyoungadult.com

Get your fire back. It's not over until God says it's over. Start believing again. Start dreaming again. Start pursuing what God has put in your heart.  -Dr. Farrah Gray

 

How about you...

 

Has your life taken a recent detour?

 

Does your life feel on hold, or your plans delayed?

 

I want to hear from you.

To learn more about my adventures of raising my two granddaughters, scroll down and continue reading previous posts. 

Be sure and leave me a comment! I want to know what's on your mind. 
-Beth

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