I wrote about this subject seven years ago after experiencing a detour on the way back home to Georgia after several days of vacation. Since then, it has taken on more significance. I personally detest detours, especially in unfamiliar places. You know as well as I do that the GPS tries to get you back on the original road that you cannot travel due to an accident or construction.
Ponder this thought. Detours are often created because there is danger ahead or reconstruction. God uses detours to protect you from danger or reconstruct your life for a greater purpose.
For me, I was in full-time ministry and living in my comfort zone. Then separation and divorce hit my home. I did not have the strength to continue to minister to a congregation on a full-time level anymore. I didn’t like that reality, but I couldn’t ignore it. I went into part-time church ministry and became a hospice chaplain and piano teacher to make ends meet. I found that the three jobs, although the combined income didn’t come close to what I had before, brought a sense of fulfillment. God has given me a precious wife with two children since the divorce. Life is different, but God is reconstructing my life.
Are you in a season of your life that might seem less than ideal? He may be protecting you from harm or doing a new thing. Don’t miss it! It hurts for a little while. But hold on! God’s got this!
Matthew Winters (Honest Thoughts from a Pastor) 