When detours become unexpected blessings
“Don’t think! Just pack!”
The words crashed through my mind as my gaze landed on the baby quilt folded at the end of the crib.
My body, numb with shock from the turn of events, was slow to obey, as in the last 24 hours, our life had turned upside down. Our baby girl had been delivered from her warm cocoon underneath my heart and whisked away into the cold, sterile world of doctors, tests and surgeries. I had never imagined that I would be coming home from the hospital with empty arms.
Our unexpected journey started as the nurse did her initial assessment; “it looks like your baby may have Down syndrome”…
In the days that followed, we received many cards of congratulations on the birth of our daughter. One, in particular, brought hope and a spark of understanding that God, in His loving sovereignty, had put us on this path for a reason. The words were from James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (NIV).
Her birth was not a random act of chance but a calling to fall in love, advocate and shout the worth of people born with differences.
The world might lament and call it unfortunate that our child was born with a disability, but in this verse, we found a promise that God had blessed us with a good and perfect gift. Her birth was not a random act of chance but a calling to fall in love, advocate and shout the worth of people born with differences. And oh, how we have fallen in love! Reegan is now 18 years old, and we would not desire life differently. She astonishes us with her abilities, and she delights us with her humour and love for life; she is making us, her family, better people.
Sometimes God takes us on detours.
The dictionary definition of a detour is a “long or roundabout route that is taken to avoid something or to visit somewhere along the way.”
Some roads we would never travel if it wasn’t for God, in his infinite wisdom and love putting an orange detour sign directly in our path. But He never throws these detours carelessly our way.
Because we have no other options, we begrudgingly veer off onto the bumpy dirt path. We maneuver through twists and turns. We argue, complain, and cry in pain and frustration because this was not how we imagined the trip. If we would only take note of the roadside sign that says, “Slow down! God at work!”.
Slow down! God at work!
Could we see the detour as a gift? Gifts sometimes come packaged differently than we expect. Sometimes they look like loss, and loss will strip us bear to where God can begin to work a new and beautiful thing in us.
Hindsight brings perspective
God continues to open my eyes to how he uses this detour, to refine and draw me to Himself. Through the process, some of the things that I am learning are:
- In my weakness, His strength is revealed.
- God is trustworthy. I must learn to trust Him more.
- My story can help those who come behind me. God gives us a story not to selfishly keep to ourselves but to share. My words can bring encouragement and hope to others.
- The view is spectacular on this detour. I am experiencing things I would never have known on the “planned” route.
- The impact that Reegan has on all those who have the privilege of knowing her. Her life is a continuous testimony to the praise of God’s glory.
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I do not presume to know why God may have put you on a detour, but I believe that He never does anything without a purpose.
We often don’t see how these detours can be a “good and perfect gift.” Instead, we can feel like God has deserted us, and we are left to navigate the uncharted territories on our own. But He has not abandoned us.
It may take time and hindsight to see that He has been there all along, sometimes guiding us over the rocky spots, sometimes carrying us, but never leaving our sides.
Slow down; God is at work.
Are you currently on a detour you struggle to understand? How might God be refining you and using this path for His good and His glory?
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