The other day, as I was driving home, I came upon a detour in the road. I followed the orange signs, winding around a neighborhood I wasn’t familiar with, only to end up a few minutes later in the same spot I’d started.
I shook my head, sure I’d done something wrong, and headed into the detour again.
And ended up in the same place again.
I couldn’t figure it out. Could detour signs really be wrong, or was it me?
I watched other cars and realized that some of them were turning left instead of right like the sign said.
So I followed those cars.
Within minutes, I came out on a little side street that pointed me in the right direction. Obviously, those people knew the neighborhood better than I did, and knew their way around the detour.
And that’s how it can be with life sometimes.
Sometimes, we set out on a path, following signs that will steer us in the wrong direction. Only we don’t know it yet. We may not even realize we’re on the wrong path until we’re already lost.
Yet, similar to those people who knew the neighborhood better than I did, there are always people who have walked the path we’re on before us. There are always others who’ve been where we are and know the way back.
Looking to these people—maybe a mentor or close friend—when we’re feeling lost, can make all the difference in finding our way again. And looking to God—who gives the best direction of all—will not only help us to find our way, it will keep us from taking a wrong turn in the first place.
“I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
When you walk, your step will not be hampered;
And if you run, you will not stumble.”
Proverbs 4:12-13
God’s path is filled with grace and wisdom and love. And when we turn to Him, He gladly leads us so that we won’t get lost.
If you’re not sure if you’re on the right path, or if you’re in a place where you’re feeling lost right now, turn to Him. And turn to the people He’s put in your life. You don’t have to navigate the detour alone.
And keep in mind: just like detours usually mean new roads are being built or old ones are being fixed, the detours in our lives can actually be the very things that set us on a new, better path.
What about you? Are you following signs that are pointing you in the wrong direction? Can you share a detour in your life that caused you to find a different path?
Lately I feel like I drove off the road and got stuck somewhere in the mud. I needed this. Thank you.