Detour Signs and Humble Plans
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. The Spirit of God is gifting you great joys in little things. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. May your eyes and your body soften for a few moments to receive the wonders of being fully present.
Sometimes the greatest plans for our lives are those we could never even imagine.
“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.”
- Woody Allen
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”
- Roald Dahl, The Minpins
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in the mind of a human, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
Food for Thought
I remember the day they asked me the question, “What will you do if this committee decides that we don’t think you should be a pastor?” It felt like a bit of a trick question. You don’t want to sound like you don’t really care one way or the other, but you also don’t want to sound like you won’t accept the decision you receive.
But I had an honest answer to offer. “In college, I felt sure that I was supposed to be a lawyer in the Air Force. And God put a detour sign in my path and sent me to seminary. Then I thought I knew what kind of church I was supposed to serve, and God put another detour sign in my path and I changed denominations. I believe God is calling me to this, but if another detour sign gets put up, I’ll follow it, because it’s never steered me wrong before.”
There’s nothing wrong at all with making plans, or with hoping and praying for a certain future. We must also remember, however, that God created us as finite beings on purpose – we are not all-knowing or all-powerful. The plans we make can only ever be sketches and drafts, held lightly and humbly. God may put detour signs in front of us, calling us to leave the path that we have marked for ourselves, or that others have marked for us.
I don’t mean to suggest that this is an easy thing to do. I’m the kind of person who wants nothing more than a very clear map outlining every step of the journey, telling me exactly where to go, and how, and when. But to follow God’s call, we have to be willing to do without such a map. In place of certainty, we are offered the gift of a life lived in faith. Instead of directions for perfection, we are offered the gift of grace and forgiveness.
Lent is described with many words. It is a season of repentance and fasting and prayer. But before all else, it is described as a season of self-examination. This Lent, I invite you to reflect on where God may be asking you to exchange certitude for faith or perfectionism for grace. For some of us, it may be a problem of being too sure that we know it all, that we have figured out all the answers and understand God’s will perfectly already. For others of us, it’s a matter of thinking we have to do it all on our own without help. But God’s Spirit dwells within us, and longs to make her still, small voice heard by us.
This Lent, I hope that your self-reflection will draw you to greater and greater openness to what God seeks to do in your life and through your life, even if it isn’t what you’ve expected or imagined. Hold your knowledge and your plans in a soft hand, and be ready to let God fill in the details as you go.
Practice the concept of holding your plans with a soft hand. One day when you have some flexibility, write down possible things to do that day on little pieces of paper – check out a nearby town you’ve never been to, go for a hike, take a spin class, etc. Fold the pieces of paper and put them in a hat or a bowl, then close your eyes and choose a paper at random. Do whatever adventure you choose!
Our “Detour Signs and Humble Plans” Journaling Page provides seven daily thoughts of reflection and journaling prompts that tie back into this week’s story. You can print it, forward it to a friend, use it as inspiration for your own journaling practice (or group conversations), or maybe just use it as food for thought in your own quiet time!
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
Blessing
Faithful Guide,
Give us humility as we make plans for our lives.
Help us also to look for you in the detours we may encounter.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Together with a friend, talk about plans. Are you a strict planner or more of a go-with-the-flow type of person?
Has there ever been a time when your life plans got derailed? Talk about this and how that shift made you feel.
How do you feel about the idea that God may sometimes put detour signs in our paths? Why do you feel this way?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Ask your kid about plans they may have for their life – what they want to do for work when they grow up, where they want to live as an adult, etc.
Perhaps share a personal story about how your adult life might look different than you imagined when you were little. Share what you love about your life, even if it differs from what you had “planned”.
Play the “Choose Your Own Adventure” game with your kiddo! You can write down some fun possibilities to do that day - enjoy a bike ride, play board games, go for a walk/hike, paint a picture - fold the pieces of paper and put them in a hat or a bowl, then close your eyes and choose a paper at random. Do whatever adventure you choose!
Meet Our Welcoming Voice!
Kelli Joyce is a priest in the Episcopal Church and a PhD student in theology at Vanderbilt University. She lives in Nashville with her wife, Bailey, and their dog, Amos.
To hear more from Kelli throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!
Here are Five Things to Remember When Setting Your Own Welcome Table!