Detours Along The Way

It was a lovely day in Central Washington. A meandering drive on Highway 2 into Leavenworth where we ate a German meal and then a most delicious ice cream – mine an excellent maple pecan. Swoon!

As we departed Leavenworth continuing toward our Eastern Washington destination, we soon came upon a traffic slow-down. A presumed few minutes became several minutes and eventually we consulted the GPS to see that it would be approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to drive beyond the construction-related slow-down. Hmmm.

Further consultation revealed an easily accessed detour option that would be 45 minutes away from our intended route … but we would gain 30 minutes over the current slow-down. And so, detour we did. A new-to-us route through beautifully fragrant orchard lands and lovely farm landscapes delighted our senses. Our detour proved to be a lovely addition to our adventures.

But detours don’t always seem so delightful, do they? In Acts 11 we read of a life-altering detour …

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. Acts 11.19-26 (emphasis added by me)

Persecution of the followers of Jesus Christ causes the scattering of those followers throughout many non-Jewish regions. While in Jerusalem, the believers were gaining members as they spoke truth of Jesus the Christ to the Jews. Their numbers were growing but there was still much work to be done amongst them.

But this persecution and resulting scattering brings the Jewish Christians into Gentile regions where, well, there are not so many Jews, nearly none. Some of the believers were courageous enough to accept the detour had given them a continued ministry and begin to share with Gentiles about the mercy and grace given to all who would believe, not just to the Jews. It was a concept new to them and new to the Gentiles. If they had not accepted the detour the Lord was presenting to them, it may have been many years before Christians ventured outside Jerusalem to share the good news with Gentiles. There might not have been a church at Antioch (the third largest city in ancient times) from which Paul and Barnabus would teach many people and eventually strike out to bring the good news to the ends of the earth.

Sometimes in my own life, the Lord presents a slow-down, a reverse, and an eventual detour that is without doubt intended by God as the Holy Spirit works on my character, equipping me for His purposes, His glory. Surely, detours can be a good thing.

How about you? Have you been through a detour season and realized God’s hand guiding you to His intended destination? Praise!

Thanking the Lord for His immeasurably goodness and grace that allows us His detours!

Blessings, Colleen