Sunday, March 4, 2012


Detours Along The Way

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer. 29:13

I headed to my doctor’s appointment one morning. I’d never been there before, and I don’t have a GPS, but I’d looked up the address ahead of time. Armed with my map and directions, I headed out, confident I’d find the building without a problem. But there were some “bumps in the road” so to speak.

The landmarks I passed bolstered my confidence that was headed the right direction, until I happened upon an unexpected problem—road construction. Orange cones blocked the road, and a detour sign directed traffic to the left, through a residential neighborhood. Where am I now? I asked myself. Concerned, but not too worried, I drove among the houses, following the detour signs. As I passed each one, I reminded myself that my destination was back to the right and further up the road.

Eventually, I made it back to a main street. I turned right and backtracked to the street I’d been traveling originally. Looking around, I saw that I needed to turn left in order to get to the doctor’s office. Ten minutes later, I reached my destination.

When I parked the car, it occurred to me that because I’d kept my destination and its location in mind, I was able to find my way there—despite being sidetracked by a detour.

This happens to me in other areas of my life too. I set out toward a goal but get distracted. Before I know it, I’m headed a different direction. I get confused, sometimes lost along the way. So, I have to regain my bearings and turn back toward my original destination.  As long as I remember where I’m headed, I’ll get there eventually, even if I take a detour or two.

5 comments:

Cathy Baker said...

What a great reminder, Ellen! Keeping our eyes "on the prize" makes even the detours in life worth traveling. :)

Vonda Skelton said...

Great application, Ellen! And we can be sure those detours are going to happen!

Ellen Andersen said...

I agree with you both. Detours are guaranteed in this life. But focusing on our ultimate goal helps set us back on the right track.

Edie Melson said...

Ellen you're so right, detours can become roadblocks if we lose sight of where we're headed. This is a reminder I desperately needed!

Ellen Andersen said...

Absolutely Edie. It's easy to get off track. We need to go back repeatedly and refocus our attention on the One who knows where we need to go, and has the best path laid out for us.