Detours.

Detours. How fitting that this week’s message on detours comes late! I listened to a great message on detours this past weekend that reminded me of an awesome life lesson. Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Detours. The dreaded detour. It always seems to come up when you’re running late, doesn’t it? The truth is, there is never an ideal day for a detour. Detours can be an extreme inconvenience. I live near an intersection that is being completely rerouted. The noise, the roadwork, the extra mile loop, and the stopping is enough to make me want to go crazy…not to mention all the beautiful houses that were knocked down for this reroute! I was grumpy, impatient, and upset with what was happening. But. What if our perspective changes. What if a detour is EXACTLY what we needed for that day. A couple weeks ago I wrote about tiny miracles that happen—like the slow car that gets in front of you while you’re driving could actually be your saving grace. They may slow you down just enough to save you from an accident ahead. Tiny miracles. Detours are just that. In fact detours awaken our senses. And I am not talking about the anger ones—I know my blood boils when I come across one! But, what if we took a moment to look around. Have you ever been on a road that you drive on every single day—perhaps to and from work—and you notice a house that you’ve never seen before--when did they put that there!? I LOVE when that happens to me, but it also frightens me. How much do I miss on a daily basis. How many blessings? How many tiny miracles? How many opportunities? How many potential encounters with someone who could profoundly impact me? (Romans 5:3-5) Despite having to go out of your way…and perhaps making you late, detours still get you to your final destination. Life is a lot like that. We get thrown curveballs…make career switches…experience losses, but ultimately we are still heading to our purpose. I believe the detours in life…those unexpected obstacles or routes…are character building moments. They may be, in fact, preparing us for what lies ahead… or sharpening who we are. We all serve an awesome purpose here on Earth. God made us uniquely and specifically and put us here for a reason. How cool is that? Every day is a grind and the feeling of our purpose can get lost in that. It is so important to incline your heart to your calling, daily. A job is not a calling, but who you are is a calling…and that may fit an exact job description OR it may just be simply being who you are in the work that you do. Your presence impacts. Remember God doesn’t call the qualified… He qualifies the Called. He can use you ANYWHERE!! You have the opportunity to learn more about yourself through the detours of life. You can choose to see different life lesson nuggets along the detour, or you can easily miss them with the distractions of tomorrow…of where you should be. Where you are….is right where you need to be. It is important to work hard to get where you want to go! But. But, in order to work hard you have to be fully present in the here and now; not allowing for distractions… while embracing the detours as growth mindset opportunities. Psalm 25:4 “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths." The truth is, they are fixing the intersection that I mentioned previously to make it safer. Just because we can’t see something or benefit from it immediately, doesn’t mean that we will not be blessed by it later on. 2020 was a lot like that for me. (I think we can all agree that 2020 was the detour of a lifetime!). I am not undermining all of the difficult things everyone experienced. Some that are truly heartbreaking. But I do believe it was character building. I do believe we appreciate things more…we value time with others more…we truly felt grateful for what we did have. What I love about Jesus is how much He used detours!! He was constantly taking the disciples places that were off route. It reminds me of the woman at the well where Jesus’s ministry took fire…. John 4:4–42. Be mindful that this detour was a DANERGOUS one. Samaritans and Jews mixing together was not ideal nor safe, but Jesus used this as a lesson. A lesson that is very applicable to today. He showcased love. He changed a woman’s heart that changed a city that made his ministry begin. How? Through a detour. I love The Chosen series…if you have not seen it yet, watch it! It’s the last episode of the first season that powerfully depicts this scripture. He makes an effort to take detours…. to leave the 99 to save the one. (Matthew 18, Luke 15). Amen for Christ and His detours. Take a minute to thank Him for finding you!! And remember…God is a gentleman He will be right there for you, but you need only to let Him in. He is seeking after you… but you have to choose Him. A relationship takes two people in agreement, having regard for one another, giving to one another. Let me make one thing clear. There are no detours to everlasting life. No good words. No good deeds. It’s a direct route through the belief that Jesus Christ came to save our lives at no cost to us….but it did cost Him everything. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” While I thought being still in 2020 was going to be the proverbial death of me, it taught me new ways to appreciate life. It allowed me to sit still enough to write a book! Little did I know that Mindful Mondays would ignite a flame within that I have always had for writing. I never made time for writing. I let endless thoughts bounce around my head with no release. Each week, Mindful Monday writings have helped me to continue to see the good ALL around me, while appreciating the bad or tough times as opportunity for growth. When you start seeing detours as opportunities…as character building moments…as tiny miracles, I promise you will grow more. You will learn more. You will appreciate more. Romans 8:24-25: For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. My book is about life and what it takes for growth to happen, but I talk about it primarily through the growth of a seedling to a tree. There is breaking. There is beauty. There is sorrow. There is happiness. There is sadness. All of it is required for growth—the breaking, the foundation, the fertilizer, the weather, the pruning, and the seasons… none of which are associated with smooth sailing or ease. If you would like to grab a copy of my book, Miracle Grow, you can find it on my publisher’s website: https://www.westbowpress.com/.../book.../826306-miracle-grow, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or I have some copies with me! It’s infused with my favorite quotes, anecdotes, scriptures, and song lyrics, along with pictures that I have taken over the years.