Divine Diversions

I recently subscribed to "Our Daily Bread" via email. For those of you who aren't familiar, it is a nice daily devotional usually found at Mass.  Now that I can get it on my Iphone, it is even better!

I am the type of person who likes to read something, ponder on it all day, and try to relate it to my life as much as I can.

The message this morning was labeled "Divine Diversions"...

Hmmm, Brownfamfive does know about that subject first hand.....

I was also reading another Army wives blog this week, and she was disheartened that their families Army orders got changed from Colorado to Texas.

I sooo understand!  Ft. Hood has always been someplace we had no desire to be stationed. Ironically, we too were put on orders to Ft. Hood in May 2006.  After accepting that we were going to Texas ( thru self motivation to suck it up and God knows best), we then got word that we were instead being re-routed to Atlanta, GA.

What....God, COME ON!!  What is this crazy plan you are throwing us into? Why on earth are you sending us to inner city Atlanta with three little kids? 

I didn't want to go to Ft. Hood, but I REALLY  didn't want to go to Ft. Mcpherson.

But......

This is ultimately how we ended up in Newnan, GA.  A place where God would become such a prevalent part of our lives, where my entire family would end up making lasting friendships and who would of known, where we will now always call home.

That is Divine Diversion.

Did we see this right away?  Oh, no....it took quite awhile for us to realize those diversions, or as I like to see them, directions.

Leaving, coming back, losing loved ones, relationships lost, re-building relationships, friendships, happiness, heartaches, deployments, smiles, good memories, homecomings..... These all could describe the last few years for each of us at one point or another.

Do we understand everything that has happened in Eric's career and our lives? Not in this lifetime!  The "why's" are still there, always will be, and will probably never be answered.  

But, maybe that is how it is supposed to be......All I know is that God led us to where we were supposed to be then.... And so when our retirement was denied last year, this was the first thing I thought of and pulled strength from.  

How adamantly we were against coming to Atlanta, but how fruitful it really had been in our lives.

Eric and I are completely content with letting God be the chauffeur, and giving us these diversions as needed.

God knows that He often needs to divert us in order to make more of our lives than we would have if we had stuck to our original plans.

Lord, teach us to be willing to adjust our plans to conform to Yours. You have greater things in store for us than we could ever dream, so help us to patiently wait for You to work in the circumstances of our lives.

**Think of Joseph.... God diverted him to Egypt to prepare him to rescue God’s chosen people from starvation.

**Or of Moses... who was diverted from the luxurious lifestyle of Pharaoh’s house to meet God in the wilderness in preparation to lead God’s people toward the Promised Land. 
**Or of Joseph and Mary... to whom the angel announced the most significant diversion of all. Mary would be with child, and this child would be called Jesus.

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