Detours

I spent Friday through Monday traveling to our denomination's district camp in order to be at an event that I had planned. It was a wonderful time of getting away, seeing many friends from around the state and reconnecting with them. I came away relaxed, encouraged and inspired in my district ministry.

On the way there I was able to make a couple of stops to visit with friends I haven't seen in a while. As I left the last house, I came to a bridge that was out and a detour in the road. I was surprised to find that the detour led me down the road pictured above through a quiet and isolated patch of forest. It was beautiful and made for a pleasant drive. 

I find that there are many detours in our lives. Detours away from the plans we had for ourselves. Detours away from our dreams and goals. Detours that can be extremely disappointing. Those detours often can seem like a huge interruption or inconvenience. And yet, there may be a purpose in the detour.

I had been traveling since early in the morning and this was the last leg of the trip and I really just wanted to get to my destination. However, the detour ended up adding enjoyment to my ride. Detours aren't always that way.

Sometimes they lead us down hard and heartbreaking paths. At times, they cause us to feel isolated and alone. Other times, they can cause pain. However, when we follow the Lord through those detours, we find that there is purpose to them. We may not always see the purpose, but we do need to trust that God's ways are better than our ways. We must believe that His paths are the right ones and will bring Him glory in the end.

While I was at this event, two different friends said, "There is something different about you." The one said, "I get the sense that God is surrounding you with His presence." The other said, "I see a confidence in your leadership that wasn't there before."  

Now I certainly can't say that I feel any different. I still struggle often. The place I'm at in my life isn't really the road I've wanted to travel and yet, I have trusted that God has a reason for the circumstances I've gone through. I've sought Him through it and though I've felt very isolated, I've clung to the Lord.

Apparently, growth has happened because of this detour. I've stretched and matured and developed as a leader because God has stripped away my reliance on people to fill the parts of me that only He can fill.  And it has made a difference. 

I know there will be other detours. A big part of me wishes it wasn't so, but I know that those twists and turns in the road are part of God's plan for my life. I will continue to follow Him down the detours and trust that His plan is a good one.