Welcome to another week of our Everyday Jesus link-up. Be sure to link-up below this post, comment on your neighbor’s blog and share with your friends… Because Jesus is everywhere, every day!
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A while back, I was going for a run on a very familiar trail. My feet tapped in rhythmic cadence around the Fort Lewis airfield. I was in the zone, when something up ahead caught my eye.
It was one of those bright hunter-orange road construction signs.
Now, one thing I have learned about running on a military post is that they are always doing some kind of construction somewhere. As a runner, I have to be extra alert to the changes on my path so I don’t get squashed by a bulldozer or cement truck.
Normally, a road construction sign wouldn’t have made me laugh out loud. But this one did.
The bold letters forming the word “Detour” on the sign weren’t the source of my grins. It was sign the on top of it: “Faith Ave.”
And I knew that this was a blog post come to life.
So for the remainder of my run and in the days since, I considered the Faith Avenue Detours in my own life.
*Waaaaaayyy back, when I thought I was all that and a bag of potato chips… the BOOM! Detour! God showed up and totally changed my trajectory. (For the better times a million, I might add.)
*When I was convinced that I would NEVER “submit” to a man in a marital relationship. Detour! Enter stage left a man I loved so much that I would follow him anywhere for the glory of God. (Still working on the biblical submission part, just FYI. #OldHabitsDieHard)
*I was convinced that I would work for a specific secular agricultural corporation until I died. Detour! I was called into ministry.
*We were well on our way to expanding our biological family then detour. We had a miscarriage.
*I was broken in grief from the loss of our first child and detour! The two pink lines changed the game again.
*The moment our daughter was born and, well, HELLO PARENTING. (That’s like 45,000 detours in two minutes, right?)
*We were preparing to re-enlist in the army for “duty station of choice” then detour– hubby gets promoted (yay) but our options for where we will live are now “needs of the army.” Literal location detour. (But it still worked out AWESOME.)
Through the years, my detours down Faith Avenue have come in all shapes and sizes. Big and small, joy and pain. As much I would love to say that I have taken each and every detour in stride with the grace of the most patient “traveler” on the planet, that would be a lie. And last I checked, lying is a sin, especially on a Christian blog.
Many times when God takes me on a Faith Avenue detour, I am that impatient, frustrated traveler who is muttering things under her breath and pounding on the steering wheel.
However, through the guidance and grace of Christ, I am (slowly) getting my spiritual road rage under control.
We all experience detours on Faith Avenue. We think we are headed one direction, then bam– metaphorical huge orange sign taking us down a side road. It happens in the big picture stuff and also in our everydays.
The key is to continually be on the lookout for our “traffic director.” Slowly and patiently (ish) following the signs, stopping when we need to stop, going when it’s time to go, ultimately trusting that if we follow Him, we will not get lost.
Friends, what faith avenue detours have you experienced in your life? I would love to hear all about it. Join in and leave a comment here.
Stay the course, even if it takes you off your originally mapped out plan. God will get us to our destination. Besides– who better to take the “Scenic route” with than the Big Man Himself? He’s a great navigator and a pretty interesting travel partner… Even on the days we hit a detour on Faith Avenue.
Detoured by Christ,
“Dear friend, take my advice; it will add years to your life. I’m writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way, I’m drawing a map to Righteous Road. I don’t want you ending up in blind alleys, or wasting time making wrong turns. Hold tight to good advice; don’t relax your grip. Guard it well—your life is at stake! Don’t take Wicked Bypass; don’t so much as set foot on that road. Stay clear of it; give it a wide berth. Make a detour and be on your way.” ~Proverbs 4:10-15 MSG
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