Detours and Delays

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

-1 John 4:10

As we merged off the ramp and headed west, our hearts were content, our bodies tired, and minds ready to be back home.  Preferably as quickly as possible.  God however, had other plans.  He wanted to show us his provision, love, and possibly protection.  

Caroline and I will never fully know all the reasons we got off our direct path home from Knoxville but for some reason we missed our road and were unable to find it ourselves or anyone to point us in the correct direction.  But, God knew we were gonna get off the path, and since He knew, he provided all we needed to get back home safely and soundly, when He planned for us to.  

He provided a lovely cashier at McDonalds to give us her cell phone car charger since my cell phone was dead and therefore could not provide new directions.  Which we needed since our printed directions were no longer useful.  Even then our issues did not end.  In the frustration of getting my cell phone directions to work he provided a peace and calmness for Caroline and I as we trusted there was a bigger reason why we were unable to travel home without problems and arrive at the time we desired.  We commented to each other our wonder at what it was God was protecting us from.  

Earlier we had also faced delay, caught in 3 hours of 5 mph traffic on a 70 mph road.  Slowing down allowed Caroline and I to talk about God, the weekend, future hope, and the things we were currently contemplating and working through.  We were stuck there.  We could not move forward any faster and turning around was not an option either.  So, instead of getting cranky about our delay we took advantage of the time together to listen, talk and love one another... and obviously jam out to some solid tunes.  ;)

Sometimes it takes detours, suffering, and back-ups for us to see God and start living where we are.  We worry so much about details and deadlines that we try to take control, do it all on our own and leave out the one who provides the relationships, life, and professions we are working the details and deadlines out for.  

While we are here we will never know the full picture.  We can get stressed out when things don’t go as planned or we can accept the glitch and seek a “new route” with gained wisdom.  And once God gives us our directions, we continue forward on the fresh path ahead.  Maybe he’ll let you in on why you missed that turn while you are here on Earth, or maybe you’ll have to wait until you meet Him face to face.  

We should not be afraid when we lose our way and do not know what is next.  Confusion and the unknown can bring a renewed perusal of God.  In our lack of understanding we can draw closer to the one who understands all things.  For, the coolest thing ever is not that we love him but that He loves us, and he can drive out our fear, enabling us to fully live right where we are.

I do not need to know everything as long as I know one thing that, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8) 

and that he made this promise in that death, “[f]or God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son (John 3:16-18).  
The rest of the details do not really matter as long as I trust and believe in Him and his promises.  Nothing I do, good or bad, can separate or bring me closer to Him.  It can only transform my understanding of him working in and through me.  So I will continue on this journey, unsure what tomorrow holds, embracing the promises in His perfect sacrifice.

Bring on the things that once brought me fear and made me shameful.  For when I am weak he is strong, and when I fall, he picks me up and uses my errors to show both myself and others his glory… As long as I let my pride fall and share my love story with him, with others.

I don't get it.. It is not even fair... He is so good.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

We love because he first loved us."

- 1 John 4:18-18