Divine Detour

I used to be very close minded. Something was either black or white, hot or cold, right or wrong. My strong but faulty opinions left no wiggle room. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was a perfect example of a life without grace. I was a person who valued achievement over relationship. I valued cold hard work over conversations laced with emotion. I felt more accomplished, more satisfied, happier when I left point A and got to point B without any interruptions. HA!! Then I got married, had kids, and met Jesus. There is now, not a continuous hour of the day when I am not interrupted, and I couldn’t be happier.

Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come. When I became a new person, God taught me he had a purpose for almost every interruption. Every distraction was something, or someone, he allowed to either teach me or use me. Some detours to my well planned day were because I needed help. For example one night after working late, making supper, and grieving my new singleness my son spilled red juice on my light colored carpet. I don’t remember what I posted on Facebook, but a friend of mine knocked on the door minutes later. She had a cleaning bucket in one hand and her Bible in the other, not sure which one I wanted first! Now I laugh as my new husband gets frustrated over the day’s interruptions. I just look up to heaven knowingly, and patiently wait for him to learn.

Well on Saturday, we got to experience our first divine detour together! As we drove through a small Nebraska town my new husband pointed and told me to look. There on the corner, in front of a cute little house were three carousel horses! I HAD to take a picture! We pulled over to park, and in the yard was an elderly woman. I asked her if I could take a picture of her horses, and she laughed. Apparently her horses get a lot of attention!

We had the greatest visit! She had been divorced, just like me. She had experience with cancer, just like my dad did. She loved to garden, just like me. We joked about our husbands trailing dirt in the house, and she mentioned the Lord led her to write a book a couple years ago…just like me! I bought her book, and told her a little about my children’s books I wrote. We shared selling advice then meandered back to my husband waiting in the pickup.

I am not sure whether this divine detour was to bless her or me, but I was definitely blessed by it. As she gave me a big hug, because we instantly felt like family, she told me to be sure to come back and visit her again. She was so sweet, I honestly feel like I want to adopt her as my grandma!! I may never know the reason for this divine detour, but Father knows best!

Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2, CSB