"Temporary inconvenience for permanent improvement"

The sermon in church today was tough to swallow. We've been going through a series on God's road signs. Today the topic was the detour sign - the sign that symbolizes a temporary inconvenience for a permanent improvement. The question was, "Detour or Providence?"

de·tour Pronunciation: \ˈdē-ˌtu̇r also di-ˈtu̇r\

: a deviation from a direct course or the usual procedure; especially : a roundabout way temporarily replacing part of a route

prov·i·dence Pronunciation: \ˈprä-və-dən(t)s, -ˌden(t)s\

:often capitalized : divine guidance or care

capitalized : God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny

And so we learned about the detours of life and how God uses them to change us, shape us, and ultimately bring glory to His name. We heard about Joseph - the one who was on top of the world. He was so loved and so spoiled his father gave him this beautiful coat. But Joseph's brothers became jealous and sold him. Joseph finds himself in Egypt, far from his family and the familiarity of the life he knew. But God is there, and things are good. Then, BAM. Another detour. But God is still there, and things get even better.

We heard about Lisa Beamer, the widow of Tod Beamer who was aboard United Flight 93 on 9/11. Her life was good. She had her husband, two sons, and another child on the way. Then one day her life is suddenly changed forever. But God is there and helps her face this tragedy with grace.

So what did I do? I sat there and cried. I cried because I miss my Joe. I cried for Rupert, Brandon, Emily, and their families. I cried for Jai Pausch and her family. I cried for Lisa Beamer and all of the families affected by 9/11. I cried for all of my dear "widdas" and "widders." I cried because I don't like those big orange detour signs. They keep appearing and I just want them to go away. Temporary inconvenience? How about life-numbing awfulness?

Then I felt my heart crying out to God to help me understand and continue to press on with grace. "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26)

The truth is, I've been learning and discovering that there can be as much beauty and power in death as there is in birth. It has been an interesting revelation that is leading me in an unexpected direction. And so, even though I will still find myself suddenly crying and cursing those orange detour signs...I do believe in Providence. I do believe that God has put me on a path leading towards permanent improvement. In fact, I was reminded of my very own words over a year ago, "if there is anything that people from the 'Burgh can handle, it is detours and potholes." Bring it on!

"Slowly I began to understand that the plans God has for us don’t just include “good” things, but the whole array of human events … I remember my mom saying that many people look for miracles — things that in their human minds “fix” a difficult situation. Many miracles, however, are not a change to the normal course of human events; they’re found in God’s ability and desire to sustain and nurture people through even the worst situations. Somewhere along the way, I stopped demanding that God fix the problems in my life and started to be thankful for his presence as I endured them."
— Lisa Beamer (Let's Roll!: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage)

Psalm 16

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came upon me;

I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
"O Lord, save me!"

The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The Lord protects the simplehearted;
when I was in great need, he saved me.

Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.

For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul
from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
I believed; therefore, I said,
"I am greatly afflicted."
And in my dismay I said,
"All men are liars."

How can I repay the Lord
for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of
the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the
Lord
is the death of his saints.
O Lord, truly I am your
servant;
I am your servant,
the son of your
maidservant;
you have freed me from my chains.

I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord -
in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.