This photo was taken 5 years ago yesterday – June 5, 2011 – at the San Diego Marathon. This is where I attempted to qualify for the Boston for the first time. Seeing this photo come up on the ‘On this Day’ feature of Facebook brought back so many memories and emotions. Ones I will not detail today! It appeared in my newsfeed after I had been to church in Destin, Florida and heard an amazing sermon by none other than former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
The night before we were looking for churches close to the condo due to the fact we had planned on walking to the service because we were without a car. Destiny Worship Center popped up with the banner – Guest Speaker, Governor Mike Huckabee. This is where I wanted to go – so we did. 🙂 And, I am so glad we did. I have heard him preach before but that was in college – a long time ago! 😉
He spoke about detours. How we all have them…How we don’t like them…How we don’t plan them and we don’t want them. He asked the question – “What if your detour is your destination?” He gave examples from the Bible which included –
- Joseph – being sold into slavery
- Jonah – being swallowed by a fish
- Jesus – who was betrayed and paid the ultimate sacrifice – death on a cross
As we all know – we all have detours! He went on to say that God’s priorities may be different from ours. We have to have spiritual maturity and totally trust God’s best for us. The detour will take us down a path where we will learn things we would have never learned on the main road. The purpose is to help us reflect the character of Jesus Christ and the product will be something bigger than we could have ever imagined!
What are the benefits of these detours?
- We will see things we wouldn’t have seen normally.
- We will go places you wouldn’t have gone.
- We will go slower than you intended to go – so we can hear Him!
He closed with Romans 8.28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. As many of you may already know – this is the verse my family calls our family verse. It is one dear to my heart and one the girls and I had been discussing while at the beach this past week.
As he dissected this verse, he pointed out what many miss – it doesn’t say that all things are good – it says all things work together for good AND it is for those who are called according to His purpose – or who KNOW Him and call him Savior.
The detours in life are working together for good for all of us who love and know Him. NO – it is not all good but in the bigger picture – bringing glory to Him – it does work out for good! And – we may never understand or see it on this side of heaven.
Wow! What a powerful message! I needed to hear that in regards to detours I have had recently – so thankful He has the big picture and I only have a small piece of it.
Now, back to the above photo. As I stated, the photo came up on my Facebook page as a memory. That day God had planned a detour – a major one in my mind. I missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon by 53 seconds(around 2 seconds per mile). I was CRUSHED! But, I didn’t have the whole picture. Oh, and how thankful I am!!!
Due to that detour – I met Team Hoyt. I had the amazing privilege of running the Boston Marathon not once but three times! I was able to qualify two times after this race and one of my qualifying runs was while running the Boston Marathon itself. Running solo became running with a team – a team who makes a difference. (And guess where a lot of the team members live – San Diego. I was surrounded by them that day and didn’t even know it!)
I could go on and on about how this one detour in San Diego truly changed the trajectory of my running and my life but I won’t. Though yesterday after Governor Mike Huckabee’s sermon I knew I had to write the story down. The story about how attending a different church service than planned – because we didn’t have a car was a divine detour. A divine detour that enlightened me in so many ways!
God is good all the time and all the time God is good!
Ephesians 3.20 – Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…
Sidenote: Governor Mike Huckabee was one of my dearest friend’s pastors in Arkansas. He performed her and her husband’s wedding ceremony. I will never forget he had them face the congregation during the ceremony because he said everyone had come to see them not him. So true! Due to this fact – Mike and I did the same thing in our wedding. 🙂 Another divine detour….
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