Hey Y’all! Last week we were in Alabama for a week so I’m sorry, it kind of stuck. I love the southern accent. It just always sounds, well, friendly! When a grown man says, “Yes ma’am" to you here, it sounds so respectful. Whereas in Michigan when that happens, I just feel old! The people here are really nice. They don’t seem to be in this hurried state of mind all the time like us northerners. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my people, but I do enjoy a change once in awhile. It is refreshing.
I could learn from them how to slow down a little and maybe if they came to visit me in Michigan, they would learn to speed it up a little, which wouldn't be a bad thing! I have to add that I do not think that this charm is artificial. We have gotten to know really great people in our business that are from the south and they are some of the nicest people we know.
I came across this sign while I was down here, and I find all of these to to be true. Amusing at times, but true!
If you have been following me at all this past year, you have heard me talk about the Florabama bar. That place turns into an amazing church on Sunday morning. We had the privilege of attending while we were there, and as usual it was a great morning at the bar! On Sunday mornings you go to the bar for an omelet, not a Cosmo. Works for me!
We heard the second sermon in Pastor Dan's series called, “Wonderlife: Discovering Why I am Here.” Perfect! I ask myself that every day! He spoke about Joseph, which was not where I saw this going, but actually it tied in perfectly. When you think of Joseph, it's always about the coat, right? That coat was not a good idea from day one. When you look at the favoritism his father showed, and the jealousy it created among his brothers, no coat is worth that! The coat was just a small piece of this whole thing though. They hated Joseph for all kinds of reasons. So if you were Joseph and your brothers had thrown you in a hole to die, then they went on to sell you, it would be very easy to assume that life as you know it is over. A dead end.
Here is the line I loved from this sermon, “God turns our dead ends into detours to help fulfill our destiny in life.” The detour is God's plan from the beginning. That makes so much sense, doesn't it? When you think of anything hard you’ve gone through and you have faith that God will see you through it, that's a detour. Without faith and belief in His promises, it is just a dead end.
The definition of a detour is: a route that is different from the ordinary, often used when the direct route cannot be used.
You take a detour in your car when you have reached a roadblock or eventually a dead end. You have a choice: to throw your car in park and sit there and wait for the construction to be done (which could be awhile) or you can follow the detour. There are usually clear signs to follow. Sometimes, we try to take our own detour instead of the recommended one. How many times has that worked for you? I have done it often and it usually brought me to another dead end.
Here’s the point: that detour in the car is just like life. There have been so many things in my life that could’ve been a dead end, but they were really a detour. God is at work to fulfill his destiny in my life. My destiny and yours is right around the corner, if we follow the signs and don’t give up.
That is why this message really hit home; it's so relatable to life! There was a time when life seemed pretty hopeless. Especially when I look at where I was at the age of 40, compared to my recently new age badge of 50. Forty was an “ugh” about the number, not real happy with myself for what I had or had not accomplished or where my life was going. God didn't want me to stay there though. The past is the past and everything we go through is part of his plan. Our destiny. Does that mean that because I feel better about myself ten years later that I have arrived? That I’m all set and now I can coast through life? NO! God has more plans for me and for you.
My husband and I had a conversation last week about some of the things we have gone through and how those things are shaping who we are today. I say shaping instead of shaped because it is ongoing. We are thankful that even though at the time those things were really hard, they were all part of God's plan. The beauty is that he is not finished with any of us yet. You never know how God is going to use you! Be open to what he is trying to bring you to. That struggle, conflict, or pain that you are going through today is real and it’s hard. Stay in it with God. Don’t let it become a dead end in your life. Take the detour to find your destiny.
I have often said I took the long way around just about any problem in life. The biggest one being my drinking. If I had gone straight into recovery the first time I realized I had a problem, it would’ve saved a lot of pain and heartache in my family. Would God still have used me? Absolutely! However, I am an overachiever and wanted to get everything I could out of this horrible experience. (Ha, that's my ego talking.) No, in reality I am a control freak and wanted to fix this all by myself. The two biggest lessons I have learned in all this is to pay attention and I am not in control here. God has a plan and the plan does not involve me trying to figure it out on my own.
Transformation happens in the journey. You will be forever changed as you travel through the detour. As you do, He entrusts more to us. This is why embracing destiny is also embracing the path to get there.
There is a beautiful simplicity in life when you stop questioning God and trust him. Ask him how to use what you’re going through. He will answer. Remember that song, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands? It's true. Trust in him to fulfill your destiny. After all, that’s why you're here.
Peace on your weekend,
Sherry