Faithful Detours
Not What I Wanted, But What God Needed
When I came out of seminary, I thought I knew exactly what God and I were doing. I had a clear plan: to become a consulting resource for churches in my area—helping congregations reimagine ministry and leadership right out of the gate. It felt like the perfect next step for someone with years of experience in corporate leadership and team development, and a deep love for the church.
And then came a snag. One missing administrative step delayed my ordination for a full year.
At the time, it felt crushing. But that delay carried me somewhere I never expected: into a seven-year appointment serving four local churches alongside an experienced and engaging clergy partner. What I thought was a detour turned out to be formation.
Those seven years gave me what no consulting plan could—real experience in ministry’s trenches: leading both large suburban and small-town congregations, managing aging buildings, partnering with dedicated volunteers, and witnessing the everyday faithfulness of people who keep showing up. It was a chance to refine my preaching, grow in spiritual direction and pastoral presence, and understand the real constraints of budgets, buildings, volunteers, and the quiet courage of lay leaders.
Not what I wanted, but exactly what I needed.
And, as it turns out, what God needed, too.
Most of us have lived through seasons that didn’t go as planned—a loss, a delay, a diagnosis, a road we never meant to travel. And yet, somewhere along the way, something sacred begins to grow: patience, empathy, trust. A quiet strength we didn’t know we had.
We all carry those “this wasn’t supposed to happen” moments.
And when life twists, it can feel like failure or punishment.
But sometimes, the twist is the classroom where grace does its quiet work.
When life bends in a direction we didn’t choose, it can be tempting to ask “Why?” But maybe the better question is, “How might God use this?”
The psalmist in Psalm 66 says it this way:
“You have tested us as silver is tried.
We went through fire and through water,
yet you brought us out to a spacious place.”
Those words don’t suggest that God causes the fire or the flood.
They remind us that God walks with us through them—refining, steadying, and shaping us for what comes next.
God has a way of transforming detours into doorways—turning even our most unwanted seasons into spacious places where grace can breathe.
So if you’re standing on the map right now, staring at a plan that’s fallen apart—take a breath. You’re not being punished. You’re being polished.
Let God do the quiet refining work only love can do.
Reflection Questions
Can you recall a “detour” in your life that ended up shaping you for good?
Where do you sense God refining you right now—through challenge, delay, or change?
How might you trust the process rather than fight it?
A Song to Carry With You
Fix You by Coldplay — a song about finding light again after loss, about love that shows up when everything else falls apart.
One of those unplanned seasons for me, led me to your church. It was just what I needed! New friendships, a caring community, uplifting messages and worship. Exactly what I didn’t realize I needed. But God sure did!