Detours

I was ironing a shirt today and simultaneously thinking back on my trip to Bavaria this past week - one event in particular:

BBC students, Zach Sprowls and Dave Sperring, are here on a short-term missions trip and they were with me in southern Germany. We were driving back to Berlin this past Saturday evening and suddenly came upon a yellow sign that read, "Umleitung." We had an MK from Berlin in the car with us and she explained that Umleitung is the word for "detour" (a new German word for me - one that I will now never forget).

So, as I was ironing I was reminded about the whole detour experience and how frustrating it was. We wound around country roads for probably 45 minutes trying to find our way back to the Autobahn that we had left. A couple times, we drove for 10-15 minutes without seeing another "Umleitung" sign, letting us know that we were in fact still correctly following the detour. It was a confusing and exasperating experience, especially since we were all hungry and in need of restrooms.

This little anecdote showed me something today that I had never realized before. Many times in life, we chart our own course and are then shocked, frustrated, confused and even angry when the road we wanted to take is suddenly not a possibility. I've experienced this many times in my life because I'm a person who likes to know where I'm going. I've hit many "detours" already in life, but have labeled them "disappointments," which I'm finding is an error in judgment. Most of life's "disappointments" are detours from God Himself. Detours are not to be looked upon as negative turns of events - but as God's guidance. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8,9).

Praise God when in His great wisdom He redirects your path saving you from unseen heartache and even destruction. It may mean a delay or even a stand-still, but trust God - there's a reason!

If you feel right now that life doesn't make sense and is not going the way you wanted it to, trust God and follow the detour. It will lead you to His perfect "way." Don't believe me? Re-read the stories of Joseph, Naaman, Daniel and many others who hit detours and I'm sure questioned God's sanity. There's no detours quite like ones these people faced: pits, prison, leprosy, captivity, lions' dens, etc., etc., etc. Stop complaining and start trusting. "Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom of God! . . . For from Him and to Him and through Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!" Is the way you wanted to take blocked? Stop arguing with God, follow the detour and trust His guidance.