Rerouting... Rerouting... The word flashes on my Google Maps app like a perpetual siren, reminding me that I am not on the fastest route to get to my destination.
I want to calmly and collectively tell the app to stop talking. I am confident that I know exactly where I am going and I will get along splendidly without her constant reassessment of my route. I am the one who planned this journey in the first place—and trust me, I am a self professed master navigator.
I have pre-calculated precisely how much time it will take for me to get to my destination, including the ever-so-frequent stops I need to make along the way. I’ve even allotted extra time for the unexpected. Like getting into my car and dismally discovering I only have fifteen miles left before my gas tank reaches empty. It looks like a stop at the local gas station has made it onto my list of unexpected stops. Add five minutes.
I have also added to my route the need to drop off a “warm fuzzy” to my friend who lives ten minutes down the road. What is a “warm fuzzy,” you ask? It’s not a lint ball from your dryer, if that’s what you’re thinking.
A warm fuzzy is a small gift meant to bless someone that will in turn make them feel all warm and fuzzy inside when they receive it.
It’s a detour to my route for sure, but random acts of kindness are always worth the extra effort.
I just remembered that I need to stop at the library, too; I have three overdue books stuck in the back of our SUV. If I don’t return them soon, I will owe more to the library than the worth of each book! Maybe I’ll stop at Starbucks to pick up a fun drink on my way. If I’m splurging, then I’ll purchase a tall, extra hot white mocha with oat milk. It’s a little reprieve in my schedule that makes the journey so much sweeter.
Every time I stop at one of these unexpected locations, my map app goes crazy.
Rerouting... Rerouting... Rerouting...
Sometimes I wish that Google would take into consideration the stops I need to make on the journey to where I’m going. Perhaps then, she wouldn’t be recalibrating or rerouting my journey every couple of miles. I know where I will end up, but my route to get there might not be the route she chooses.
And the moments where I pause along the journey are just as important as the final destination.
I believe it’s the same in our walk with God. Though He always has the final destination in mind, many times He doesn’t take the most direct route. There are moments when we reroute and make an extra stop we weren't anticipating, or get redirected from our original route—but all along, it was a part of God’s divine plan.
The key point is that it wasn’t something “we were anticipating.” God knew all along the route He would take us; we just need to trust Him in the process.
"Take courage and let God reroute you for a time. Enjoy the journey, even the detours."
Want to hear more about how scripture relates to this topic. Simply click this link and write "Chapter Sixteen" in the subject line for a free PDF download of Courage to Reroute.
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Want more resources? Check out this podcast with Pete Scazzero on what he would tell his 25, 35, 45 and 55 year old self—and beyond. What a great listen.
Photo Credit: Arthouse Studio, pexels.com | Design: Milan Klusacek, milanklusacek.com
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