Detours

Proverbs 3:5-6

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Have you ever set out to go somewhere, knowing exactly the route you were going to take, how it would look like as you made your way there, only to find at a pivotal point in your journey a large, orange sign that reads "detour?" It's a rather disconcerting feeling. Even if you have a general sense of where this detour is leading you, it's not as comfortable as your preferred route. You were expecting to see your favorite tree, or that lady who sometimes jogs along the sidewalk. Instead, you venture into unfamiliar territory, trusting that these orange signs know where they're leading you.

It happens in life, as well. We plan our route very carefully, knowing exactly what we plan to do, where we plan to go. You will go to X University for 4 years, graduate with your bachelor's degree, and land The Perfect Job. Then that big orange sign pops out of nowhere, and DETOUR. Things don't look like you want them to, and you're not quite sure where you're heading. But... a few months (or years) down the road, you turn back and find out that the detour got you where you needed to be just fine. Maybe it was an even better route than the one you originally planned.

If you grew up in church or attended a Christian school (like I did), you memorized Proverbs 3:5-6. My former church presented me with a throw embossed with it upon my high school graduation. I never quite understood why it said, "make your paths straight." I realize now that this basically means if you trust God completely, He's not going to let you down. Because, in reality, the path isn't always straight. Sometimes it winds erratically. Sometimes it slopes steeply. Sometimes it goes right through the muck and mire. But as long as you know Who is giving you directions, the destination is the same. An alternate version says, "he will direct your paths." This is probably more accurate, at least for me. When I hear that phrase, I imagine God telling me my next move, much like a GPS navigator in the car.

Personally, I am really glad my life didn't turn out like I planned in high school. I wouldn't have the loving, godly friends and family I have today. My detours have made me who I am, and I thank God that even though I don't always know where we're going, He does. And He will never leave me stranded.