Detour

I had sent the above picture and saying out to a handful of people and I was really taken aback by the responses. Some responses were like mine, “Okay! A detour, let the adventure begin!”

Brian and I lived that way, there were no detours, simply new things to discover.

Some responses were more like they would have to think about that and digest. Some were not happy about the detour.

Now not all detours are pleasant or enjoyable but all detours teach us something about ourselves.

The first one begins at the detour sign and our reaction to it. It is unexpected and throws us off balance as we think about our timing, our fuel level, how far “out of the way do we have to go?”

That is a person who wants to be in control. I am not trying to be rude but it is the honest reaction of someone who is a planner, do not deviate from our planned out life.

The second reaction is more, let me think about that…. This person poses as semi-controlled, thinking if they thought about it, maybe the outcome might change, the fence sitters, not really happy or sad about the detour, more of the big sigh and “I guess we shall see where it goes” person.

I am not sure where you fit in this situation but Jesus is an adventurer. We are to be like Him. He let His Father guide His steps, He was often pulled one way and then another. He detoured a lot.

What if the plan is to be free enough to take the opportunities that seem to be detours or another path and knowing God is with you on any path. What if you end up exactly where you are supposed be?

How many of us have complained to others, man, it’s like I have gone off track, or I cannot believe this is happening, or I do not need this right now.

Can we talk about prayers? Yours, mine, ours.

We hear our friend had a detour in their life, something happened and it looks to us that the detour is not the original plan. Perhaps they lost their job, a contract, their health, it appears to us that they should not have to endure that “detour or thing” in their life.

Who said? Who said that detour was not divinely inspired? How would you know?

So you start the “friend” prayers: “Oh God take this away, Oh God, remove this obstacle from them, get them a job…” Do you know better than God what your friend needs?

Unless God has actually spoken to you about the subject, you do not know if it’s the path or a detour. But if the detour takes you to the same place…hmmm

Have you ever wondered if your prayers are more hindering than helping? Our prayers are always heard and answered, that is a promise.

If my prayers are actually my wishes for my friend, my emotions are in the way of true service to my friend.

God never told us to pray our emotions, He gave us The Lords Prayer as an example. “Give us this day our daily bread…protect us from evil..”

Use scripture to pray especially if you are given to being led by your emotions and always remember to say: “not my will, but Your will, God, be done.”

Your prayers should be sound, Biblical prayers, not begging God to change His will to yours.

If you are given to emotional prayers you will know it by phrases like “should never have to; God never will do this.” Friend, your heart is tender with your concern but not Biblical.

There are times where we watch someone struggle and our prayers should be, “God increase the struggle until all that person sees is You.” They never needed your version, they need more God. Oswald Chambers has been one of my devotional books daily for over 30 years. I love his version of prayer and he has lots to say about it. Prayer is the most important work we can do, prayer is not putting yourself in someone else’s position, it’s putting them in Gods hands and letting go.

God is the only one who can fix anything or cares about the straight path or the detour. He sees all paths. In the end it does not matter if we take the path to the left, the right or the detour, God is more than capable getting us to the correct destination on time, every time.