Our Detour May Be God’s Chosen Path 

Last week I visited one of our church members who was recovering from surgery at a rehabilitation facility. As I was preparing to leave, I debated in my mind whether or not I should use this opportunity to go and check on my elderly parents. I talk to my mom each day and had visited them just a few days before. However, since this trip had taken me in their general vicinity, I thought it might be nice to surprise them by stopping by to say a quick hello. But as I considered other duties and activities calling my name, I decided to head back toward home instead. Being in a neighborhood I wasn’t very familiar with, I was relying on GPS to guide me. Nevertheless, at some point it either misdirected me or I took a wrong turn and ended up traveling the opposite direction from what I had intended on a major interstate highway. I realized that by the time I could turn around, I would be very near my parents’ house. So I made the quick decision to go ahead and visit them after all.

As soon as I arrived, I knew there was a reason for my being there. They were dealing with an issue I had been unaware of and needed my help. I was thankful that in spite of what I had initially thought was the better choice, God led me in another direction. What I had considered a detour or a mistake had turned out to be the path He knew I needed to take.

I am grateful for God’s guidance in our lives. A favorite passage of scripture for many followers of Jesus is the one that says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). We naturally gravitate to that promise about the Lord directing our paths. However, there are conditions to be met in order for us to be able claim that truth for ourselves. We need to acknowledge Him for who He is and put our trust in Him. And we need to rely on Him rather than depending on our own understanding of the situation.

On that day I mentioned, I felt a definite tug in my heart leading me to go see my parents. However, as I reasoned it out in my own mind, weighing the fact that I had just visited them and that I had other duties I could attend to, I decided to ignore that inner inkling. More often than not, when we make choices like that, God lets us go our own way and face the consequences of those decisions. I am thankful on this occasion that He intervened to give me another chance. Even after I made the wrong turn, I still could have stubbornly chosen to follow my plan. But I sensed that maybe God was trying to tell me something, and I am glad I listened.

Does it seem like you have taken a wrong turn in life? Are your circumstances such that you feel like you are on a detour rather than the main road you had intended to follow? Maybe you should consider if this detour may actually be God’s chosen path for you, at least for this particular moment. There may be a reason He has sent you that direction. Look for His purpose in it or for the person along that way who may need your help. If you are seeking the Lord, trusting Him, and relying on Him, be assured that He is doing exactly what He promised – He is directing your paths.