My girl has been visiting us in KCMO, and we are enjoying the adventure of sharing this city with her. It really is a fantastic place!

Last night we ended up having a GNO, because my honey had a fancy work dinner. He sometimes gets to do those kind of things. We decided she needed some good bbq. Our first bbq adventure this trip was a new to us place highly recommended by a native Kansas Citian. It was a failure. So, we had to have a bbq redo at Q39 (they have yummy meats, tasty apple coleslaw, and amazing macaroni and cheese!)

On the drive to the restaurant, we came across some road construction which brought our road down to one lane – one very slow lane – so I took a detour. It ended up being a marvelous detour!

We saw

beautiful homes with creative finishes

an incredible playground

lovely green spaces

We would have missed all of this beauty had we stayed on our originally planned, google maps organized route. We would have missed all of this had we not taken a chance on this less traveled road.

This made me think of the times I have had a path planned in life that God decided to detour.

pre-med to religion major

overseas to staying in the states

living in a Dallas suburb to living in downtown KC

Each of these detours has brought significant beauty to my life and relationship with God and others.

The change in my major opened a door for me to teach middle school Bible at my alma mater at just the time I was looking for a job opportunity. That is a LONG story on its own, but evidence of God’s kindness and sovereignty. My change of degree plan in 1987, at the end of my sophomore year in college, was clear preparation for a job that would present itself 16 years later. 16 years! That is a detour! A God sized detour!

After college I spent time overseas. Upon my return I began making plans to return overseas after some ministry training in the states. God brought an incredible man into my world, detouring those plans. This fall will mark 25 years of ministering alongside that man. Twenty-five years of serving God in each place he has dropped us. Twenty-five years! What a beautiful detour God has given me.

(It would be very remiss of me not to mention the two blessings that joined us during those 25 years – they are pretty cool!)

We lived in the same house for 21 years, raised both of our children there, and planned to be there at least until Doug retires. God moved us to KCMO where He has given us more than we could have asked for. It is still early in this detour, but I already see so much beauty. God is opening doors for community, ministry, and spiritual growth in a most wonderful way – in a way only a God detour can do.

As I share examples of detours in my life I wonder

How many times have I missed beauty because I just had to stick to the planned route?

How many times have I missed relationship because I was stuck to my plans?

How many times have I missed sweetness with God because I avoided a detour?

I also wonder

How many times have I seen a God detour as

a barrier

an inconvenience

a frustration

rather than as

a gift

an opportunity

a joy

What are some detours God has taken you on?

Are you experiencing the frustration of a detour today?

Join me in trusting and thanking God today – He knows the path of this detour.

Join me in delighting in His purposes.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand – Proverbs 19:21