Why Detours Are Good Things That Feel Bad

I don’t know about you, but when I think back on the road God has sent me down in my life, it a miracle I ended up here. I mean, I’m probably no alone in that the path we’ve all taken has been full of detours and side roads along the way. But as I reflected over the long weekend while I flew and spent time with my wife and two dogs, I would trade it for anything. You see, nobody hates a detour more than me. I’m extremely goal oriented and typically laser focused on getting results when I set out to accomplish them. But I’ve come to learn detours are a good thing that often feel bad. Think of it like this. If you were to sit at a detour sign and refuse to take the detour, you would go nowhere. You would just sit there. For days. Possibly weeks sometimes. Yes, a detour may take longer than you had originally planned; however, it won’t take any longer that if you were to try to push through it on the original path. That will get you nowhere. Look, I get it, while detours may feel like a negative thing, they are a good thing. They provide safety, opportunities for road improvement and a different way to get you where you had wanted to go. When viewed from a short-term perspective, they may not seem that good. But when you look at the overall long-term vantage point, they are always good. This is why your perspective toward a personal detour matters and will influence the impact it has on your life. If you spend your time complaining about it (guilty) rather than seeking to understand the purpose of it, you will be less likely to benefit from it. Rarely does God ever take someone to the place He has for them without taking them on a detour, or two or ten, or even a hundred...right? He does this because His wisdom reaches far above our own. He knows how to develop, prepare and position you for the perfect fulfillment of the purpose He has for you. “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”Psalm 37:5 Have a great short week!Be Nice, Grace winsFMJ