Detours

 

Ever wonder where you would have wound up in life if you never hit any detours? The thought has occurred to me often over the past week as we drove from Tampa in NC and then on to Myrtle Beach. In this day of Google Maps and GPS systems, getting where you want to go is fairly easy if everything is as you expect it to be. You may miss a turn or two, but a quick U-turn puts you right back on track. But unexpected detours can put you in the kinds of unexpected situations and unfamiliar places that make us uncomfortable. And on occasion, you can wind up with the worst case scenario- LOST!

When I was in my teen years my family took a road trip to Canada with another family. Both cars were pulling small trailers and we took turns leading the way, following classic old road maps. One of the stops along the way was Canton, Ohio and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After our very enjoyable visit there we attempted to get back to the main road but there was a poorly marked detour. We were confused and the two cars became separated. In those years many of the streets of Canton were one way. We were driving up and down searching for one another. We could SEE the other car as it went down the adjoining road headed the opposite direction, but we could not get to them. This also being way before mobile phones, we eventually had to give up and drive to our next scheduled stop to find them. It was very frustrating. Being able to see what you want- knowing where the #NarrowRoad is- and being unable to reach it always is.

Have you ever been lost? I'm not really talking about geographically, I am speaking of spiritually and emotionally lost. Sometimes that happens because we don't know what we want or need. And sometimes we can see it, we can feel it and we can taste it- we just can't get there. For me- and I've been there often and in some ways feel that way today- the second type of lost is the worst. Life gives us detours, and the things we strive for linger just out of our reach. For believers, we talk about God being in control and we believe that. But when we are lost we feel OUT of control, and we wonder where God hid the detour signs. Our GPS fails us. And we wander, often aimlessly.

The #NarrowRoad is called that because the path is not always easy to follow- or to find. But here's my thought for the day. The important part is that we keep walking and we keep searching. Remember, the #NarrowRoad is not a destination so much as it is a journey. There will be hard days. There will be sad days. There will be frustrating days. But there is joy in the journey as well.

Anyone else feeling a little lost today? Join with me, kindred spirits, as we follow the detour signs back to following Jesus and finding our hope in him.

Because of Jesus,