Detours with Friends

This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending Circle of Friends’ conference with Carol Kent “Between a Rock and a Grace Place.” My friend Susie and I were so excited to leave our young children in the capable hands of their fathers and have a mini girls weekend away. We set out mid afternoon on Friday to make the 5 hour drive from West Michigan to Canton, Ohio.

As we neared Ann Arbor, Michigan, traffic slowed to a crawl. I kept my foot hovered over the brake pedal while we crept along Highway 23.  Susie and I kept talking, laughing, and sipping our pumpkin lattes, thoroughly enjoying this time together. I completely lost track of time until my stomach started to growl. I had no idea how long we had been sitting in traffic, but I knew by my watch that we should have been in Ohio by now.

Thanks to the detour function on my GPS, I managed to get off at the next exit and cut through town and re-enter the highway past the traffic jam. What should have been a 5 hour drive took 8 hours.

If I had been making the trip alone, I would have been incredibly frustrated and stressed out by the traffic, but since my dear friend was with me, I barely noticed the inconvenience. We weren’t in a hurry. We were just out for an enjoyable weekend, and not even a few hours of traffic could dampen our joy.

Throughout life’s journey, even when you’re on the right road, headed to the right destination, you will run into detours. Events you didn’t expect, consequences of someone else’s poor choices, illness, and sometimes even life construction zones all can hinder our pilgrimage. I have found that a traveling companion makes those unavoidable detours so much more bearable. Jesus, in His compassion for us, has provided a unique bond of fellowship with other believers to encourage us and love us through those detours. Who are you traveling with during this leg of your journey?

A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Proverbs 17:17

Amelia Rhodes

Amelia Rhodes lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan and has been married to her high school sweetheart, Kedron, for 15 years. She is also mama to two young children. If she’s not writing, you’ll find her in the garden, at the sewing machine, or out running. Amelia is a contributing author to “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Here Comes the Bride.” Her first book “Isn’t it Time for a Coffee Break? Doing life together in an all-about-me world,” will release January 2013 (Barbour Publishing).