As I pulled my car up to the intersection I saw the large orange sign alerting oncoming drivers that the road was closed. I attempted to visualize a quick reroute in my mind estimating how much time I would add to my travels. As I turned my car around I passed several smaller detour signs that dotted the gravel landscape. It would appear alternate routes had been accounted for by those who blocked the road.

Sometimes it feels like God allows us to smack ourselves into a dead end right when we think we are moving at a good clip in life. Suddenly where we thought we were going is no more and a we are getting large signs telling us that the road is closed.

These are the moments when our trust is put to the test. Will we trust the One who is sketching the blueprint, or will we give up and allow the stress of it all to compromise our motives?

But God does not want to hinder us from all He has for us for His love is not a feeling but action in our lives. And roadblocks aren’t all that they seem to the naked eye and overwhelmed soul. The road that laid beyond that large orange sign was faulty and could have caused great damage to my car or even myself. The detour signs were not placed upon the road to deter me but help me get to my intended destination. And the reroute in my mind wasn’t a waste of time but an opportunity to visualize a bigger picture.

Stop your foolish ways, and you will live; take the road of understanding.
Proverbs 9:6

When we put our trust in the Lord we are given the wisdom to understand that our ways are not His ways. Too many times I have made foolish decisions or compromised my trust simply out of my frustration and lack of knowledge. But I know I can rest upon the mercy of Jesus for He understands the complex maze of human emotions. I don’t desire to waver in my trust, and I remind myself continually of the abundance of moments when He has shown me that trusting Him is the only thing in life that will give me pure peace about a situation or circumstance.

Dead ends. Detours. Reroutes. Forks in the ever growing road. We attempt in vain to visualize where we will now go, trying to add up all the extra time we now must spend to get there. But God’s plans are greater than our plans. They exist to bring out our very best and fulfill the greatest potential of our lives. The key to fulfilling our potential is to trust the One who can see the route in its entirety greatly desiring to keep us from anything that would cause us danger or harm.

Father, it would seem that dead ends in life are inevitable. Help me to see the bigger picture when my trust seems to be waning and my frustrations begin to overwhelm my soul. There is nothing that can bring us harm when we put all our trust in you. In Jesus name, amen.