I was driving to our church’s Good Friday service and forgot. My mind was moving fast and I planned to take my former route to Goldmine. I failed to remember the road was blocked.
Then I saw the sign: Detour.
One word reminded me about the changes being made, about the longer direction I needed to go, about work getting done.
So I turned. Instead of going straight, I turned.
I detoured.
I took the right way.
I drove the long way.
The right and long way includes extra turns, bumpy roads, and holes on the road.
It reminds me of life. And death.
It reminds me about the life and death of Jesus.
We often pursue and prefer the quick road, the smooth street, the peaceful boulevard. But, as I reflect on this Holy Week, it seems like Jesus took the rough route. And it seems like He’s inviting us to travel with Him.
Jesus stated it this way:
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV).
The week from Palm Sunday through Good Friday and to Resurrection Day reminds us again of the road Jesus took. Some who initially indicated they would travel with Him didn’t take the turns.
Will we?
Will I?
I hope we follow His direction, His detours, His death. I think it leads us to life.
Let’s take the needed detours on the road to redemption.
I really liked how you said the “right and long way” T think those two things are almost never said together. the right way is normally the fastest way, but not with christ, often his way turns what the world says on its head and says something different. I think as Christians, that is such a good and important thing to remember.
I think detours are apart of life. We learn to adapt and adjust. We learn to find God in the midst of chaos and change. Which is something I find beautiful. The “right and long way” often does come with many challenges, but it is always worth it. I think about the way you are mentioning to get to our church and as I drive that bumpy road it brings me to the Father.
This is a great way to think of life . And death. We all live and we all die. Nobody is making it out alive. But christ did. He lived died and came back to life. He will return. We will be with him in the kingdom. Our roads are bumpier than his. But his death shaped our roads
I really enjoyed this blog post. I feel like in my life at the moment, I am beginning to turn a new page. Beginning to invest in positive relationships and experiences. And to be honest it is not easy and it is hard. Doing right by God takes more effort than doing the wrong things. Pursuing a positive, Christian life in college is the detour route. It takes more time, which can be frustrating but in the long run, this route is full of more color and beauty than you could ever imagine.
Sometimes it’s really easy to just follow the crowd, in fact, it’s almost always easier to do so, but that path leads to destruction. Follow the narrow path.
I love the idea of a detour. I immediately think about how Jesus came into Jerusalem on a donkey, or even just the knowledge that Jesus could have come and taken control of the world, and yet, he came as a baby. Which, in itself is a detour as well. Often I feel like we think we are on spiritual detours, when in reality, God is often taking us down a road that is necessary, but can easily feel like a detour. Knowing that often when we feel like we are backtracking, when in reality, God is often guiding us around something or preparing us in ways we do not understand yet.
I really enjoyed this blog. This serves as a reflection on the detours in life and how they can lead to unexpected places, just like Jesus taking the rough route toward his death. We should always follow Jesus even if it means facing challenges and hardships along the way.
I really liked this blog. It reminded me that sometimes detours can be good even though they make us uncomfortable. God has a plan for my life and these detours are getting me to where He wants me to be and I just need to continue to trust Him.
This blog post is an interesting thought experiment thinking about the detours life can take us brings to mind the many changes I made in persuit of my college degree. In the end though these detours led me to the right direction for my degree and the correct school for me to attend.