When I began driving, I always had a printout of directions from MapQuest handy. (Anyone else out there mature enough to remember the days before GPS?)

Since then, it has become a habit to spend several minutes carefully reviewing the directions to my destination. I just always want to know the steps involved to arrive there.

It made me think about my approach to life. I devise a plan and review each goal repeatedly, determined to check off each box:

• graduate with college degrees in 5 years
• retire as a social worker
• live in NY forever

Well, last week I had to drop my car off for some repairs. I asked my daughter to follow me in her car so she could drive me back home. While each of us was following the directions on the GPS, I made some changes to the route. I may have overlooked telling my daughter that I was going to do that. 

You can only imagine her surprise when we turned towards a road or two that were not listed in the directions. However, she continued to follow me to the shop. Once I jumped into the car with her, I explained I rerouted our trip to make it smoother.

That experience made me reflect on the times that I too was rerouted in life:

• graduated with college degrees in 6 years
• worked as a social worker for just 7 years
• moved from NY to TX 16 years ago

In those moments, I was confused because I didn’t understand why the unexpected change. It also made me nervous because suddenly, I didn’t know how I was going to arrive at my destination. I mean, it was not a part of my plan! But … I trusted God so I continued to follow where He led me. 

Proverbs 16:9 (AMP) states, “A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.”

Once I finally arrived at my destination, I realized that those changes in my route were way better than the plans I had made.

We are reminded in Ephesians 3:20 (AMP) that God “is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us,”

Dear Friend, if you find yourself being rerouted in your own plans, I pray that you would trust the Lord and follow where He leads you. God has you in the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:46) and His plans for you are good (Jeremiah 29:11).
~Joyce

Photo Credit: Antony Freitas on Unsplash