The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.”- Don Willams Jr.

Late one night, years ago, I was taking a “Short Cut” through the mountains of North Georgia. That was before the benefit of smart phones and GPS technology. I even ended up on a detour and I am still not sure where all I went, but I do recall driving by a monastery at one point. I eventually made it to the Interstate and managed to get home in Tennessee after adding two hours to my travel time.

The road of our life is seldom a straight line without detours, turns and curves along the way. Some of these we have had a choice in… while others not so much. How should we respond to these delays in our lives? Some times delays are just that, a temporary time of waiting. Delays are not necessarily denials. You keep going on a detour knowing that eventually you will be back on the main road. Sometimes disappointments will lead us to new opportunities we would not have discovered earlier. We can learn a lot about ourselves during these times of waiting. Stay focused on what you can do in the meantime is most helpful.

Dealing with delays requires us to slow down, which isn’t always a bad thing. Oftentimes, we can benefit from this by seeing things in a different perspective or to be mindful of things we are thankful for and take for granted. That is where it is good to remember to look to God and get His perspective on our personal journey… “ The Lord says I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you.” – Psalm 32:8 (NCV).

May we have the same attitude that God’s people traveling to Jerusalem to worship as described in Psalm 84:5-7(MSG)…“How blessed are those in who You live, whose lives becomes roads you travel; they wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks, discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain! God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain and at the last turn- Zion! God in full view!”