Detour!

During a recent weekend, I was confronted with nine detours. Count them! NINE! I would start out going one way and then have to either turn around or make a small change in my plans. I am so glad I usually am running early or I would have been majorly late. 

It wasn't until Monday when I was talking to my husband Doug about how ridiculous the weekend was that this thought hit my mind: "God, are you trying to teach me something? Is there something I need to learn from this?" Do you know what I heard? Nada...zip...absolutely nothing. So I waited. 

On Wednesday, I went to Freedom class at my church. Awesome teaching by Pastor Kristen, by the way. Freedom in Parenting. 

While listening to her teach, she said something that answered my earlier question. Your plans may change but God's promises never do. Let me repeat that and add a word. Your plans may change but God's promises and purpose never changes. 

I cannot count the number of times in my life that my plans...my big plans...have had to be placed aside. Some of life's detours have been sweet and wonderful...meeting and marrying Doug...having my kids...becoming a Grammy. Others have been bittersweet and yet others...I don't want to ever see that path again. 

But through them all...the good and the bad...God remains the same. He tells me that He knows the plans He has for me...that He is faithful to complete the work He started...that He loves me with an everlasting love. He whispers in my ear and gives me strength to soar...provides manna from heaven and water from the rock. He promises that He will never leave me...that He is with me always. And when I have no words...He understands the groans of my heart and sends comfort. 

My plans will change. There will be detours that will take me to new adventures...and at times down hard roads...and there will be a day that my final detour in this life will take me directly to the Throne of the One who sacrificed His life for me...my Jesus. 

God's promises are perfect. His purpose is pure. Someday when I stand before Him, it will be complete. 

Sausage Ain't My Life

The other day I spotted a billboard on Interstate 10 near the TC Jester exit. The words on it were not shocking or hilarious or offensive. They were advertising sausage created by a former Houston Oilers football player. The advertisement simply said, "Sausage is my life!"

I shook my head as I contemplated a life surrounding sausage of all things. Can you imagine getting to the end of your days and saying, "I lived for sausage". What a narrow life in deed. I chuckled to myself as I patted me on the back at avoiding THAT kind of passion.

Then this question came into my mind, "What are some things you have placed in your life as first?" Conviction came on and now required a response.

I realized that at times in my life, I too had stated a passion for this or a life long pursuit of that. I have pursued a career, raising children, my husband. Sometimes, the very things I pursued got in the way of people I love, relationships with friends. All are good things but not the one item set before me as the BEST thing. Pursuing Jesus and the better life He has for me.

There are many verses that come to mind at this time I could illustrate quite vividly my wrong choices. The thing is I know what I am supposed to do and find myself so many times veering off in a direction opposite of where I needed to go and walking after my wants instead. I then come to a point and am convicted and redirect on a path pursuing my heavenly Father.

Thankfully there is grace, and abundant yet.

Proverbs 14:12 eloquently states the results of our choices: There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. The solution is found in Matthew 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

So the truth of the matter is this: pursuing God with a passion of loving Him beyond all else will put everything else into its proper place. Your spouse, your children, your career, your friends...maybe even a pursuit to create the perfect sausage (said with tongue in cheek).

Applying this to me. It is a DAILY pursuit. I keep having to remind myself of that and extend personal grace to me when I fail. Daily I choose to pursue my Savior my King. Daily I have to lay down the things that I have a tendency to want to lift up. Daily I have to realize that only through Jesus can I have the strength to do this.

My prayer is simply this, "Jesus You are King. Let my life be a reflection of You so that You get the glory." Amen