Not Part of the PlanSample

Day Six: When Life Throws You a Detour

Sometimes God says no to one thing so He can say yes to something else—something you can’t even see on your horizon, something you can’t even imagine. I don’t know about you, but in this life, I often view closed doors and detours as negative things.

As I thought about this more, I realized I had fallen into a trap that a lot of women fall into. I had been viewing the closed doors and detours in my life story as second-best options. In my mind, the ultimate bull’s-eye was to get married, have biological kids, and live a perfect little life with a happily-ever-after bow on top. That was my goal. So when my story took some unexpected turns, I subconsciously viewed them as roadblocks to my dreams. 

But what if the route you’re on isn’t a detour? What if this journey is the life God is calling you to live for His glory?

As I pondered these questions myself, a lightbulb went on. I realized that I had been struggling to fully embrace God’s story for my life because I was viewing everything through the lens of “what should have been.” My life should look different. My life should be further along. 

Ever felt that way? But the reality is, we’re not holding the pen to our life story. God is. And the story we’ve always imagined isn’t necessarily the one He planned for us. Romans 11:33 reminds us that God’s ways truly are mysterious: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

My life wasn’t falling off the tracks; it was right on God’s track. And yours is too.

Over the years, I’ve watched so many women fall into the same trap I fell into. Their lives weren’t turning out the way they’d expected, and they were struggling to truly thrive in their reality. Singleness was lasting a lot longer for one friend, so she viewed that season of her life as a waiting zone. Another friend’s dream of serving as a missionary overseas fell through, so she viewed her life as spiritually purposeless. Another friend lost one of her parents to cancer, so she viewed her life as half-empty.

These losses and disappointments are extremely hard, but what if these detours to your plan are a part of God’s greater plan for your life?

What unexpected twists and turns has your life taken so far (even small ones)?