I usually don’t allow a lot of extra time to get places. I do as much as possible before leaving and underestimate how long it will take to get to my destination.

Once on the road, I clip along, and then I see it: ROAD WORK AHEAD. FOLLOW DETOUR.

When I see “road closed” signs I usually look beyond the barrier to see if I can still drive that way. I view the sign as a suggestion not a rule.

I don’t like to take detours. But, if I plow through the barricade it could prove reckless, illegal and might do a lot of damage—or even destroy me and those in my charge.

Detours feel like a nuisance, an unexpected redirection. I don’t have time for them because I’m already cutting it close and will most likely be late because of the delay.

Do you ever run into detours as you journey towards your God-sized dreams? You put the pedal to the metal to make good time but are rerouted when you least expect it.

It feels like a waste of time as we take the long way around. It could have been how the Israelites felt as they wandered in the desert for forty years.

We just want to get where we’re going. We want to arrive at the Promised Land, yesterday.

But, detours can be life-giving.

As you cover unfamiliar ground you take in new views that can make all the difference as you move towards your destination. A detour can be an exciting change of scenery.

Sometimes the alternative route is breathtaking, with open spaces and room to breathe deeply. Other times the detour is bumpy and unpredictable. Whatever the circumstances of our dream-detour let’s remember that it is an important part of our journey.

This month I’m learning to unwind through rest and prayer. I am not good at either of these things but as I experience delays in the fruition of my dreams, I think these two beauties are excellent traveling companions.

Let’s rest in His ability to get us to the next step—even if it takes much longer than we anticipated. (<===Click to Tweet)

Let’s pray and ask Him to help bring life to these God-given desires in His timing and way.

Detours redirect us at crucial times.

Detours can protect us from pending danger.
Delays can reveal something crucial for the next leg of the journey.
Detours might enrich us in ways that we never expected.
Delays might be just what is needed to slow us down.

When God called the Israelites out of Egypt I’ll bet they didn’t know what was in store. But as they wandered they learned important lessons about the One who led them by cloud and by fire (see Exodus 13:21).

As the Israelites approached the Red Sea, I’ll bet they saw a dead end. But God took them on a detour—right through the sea! He brought them through in a supernatural way, one they would never forget.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.” -Exodus 14:21-22

Detours are not dead ends.

Are you facing a detour or delay in regards to your God-sized dream? Does it feel like a dead end?

Let’s choose to believe the Sea-parting, Manna-providing, Nation-building, Land-Preserving God who is able to bring us through in His timing and His way. (<===Click to Tweet)

Let’s take a deep breath and rest in the fact that God is not surprised by the detour and that He can use it to show us His faithfulness in trying times.

Detours slow.
Dead ends stop.

If God has given you a dream then I believe that somehow, someway He will fulfill it. It might end up looking much different than you expected. It might morph and change. You might miss it because you are determined to see it play out in a specific way.

Often what seems like a dead-end, is just a detour as we drive towards our dreams.

Don’t dread the detours.

Life has turned out differently, than I once had planned. But through the hills and valleys, I can clearly see Your hand.”

P.S. As a special gift for all you dreamers, head on over here for some free music. The song, Waitin’ on Someday, is a reminder to keep hoping in the Lord, even when we can’t see around the bend.

Shared by: Katie M. Reid