Detours give us time to get ready for what we’re unready for. In 2003, my senior year at the School of Theology at Virginia Union University, I applied to the Ph.D. program in Biblical Studies at Union Theological Seminary-Presbyterian School of Christian Education (Union-PSCE). To my dismay, I didn’t get in because I didn’t have the required Hebrew reading proficiency under my belt. I was, however, accepted into the school’s Master of Theology (Th.M.) program, a one-year program considered by many as a stepping-stone for doctoral level work. That Th.M. year, I excelled not just in Hebrew, but in all my courses. When I reapplied to the Ph.D. program, I was enthusiastically admitted and offered a full ride. So, that Th.M. year, that detour, gave me time to prepare myself for doctoral level work. It gave me time to get ready for what I was unready for.
When we receive what we’re unready for, we do like the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. This son, the younger of two, asks his father for his inheritance. When he receives it, he travels to a distant land. But because he isn’t ready for what he asked for, he squanders all he has. And sadly enough, we’re often unready for what we want God to do for us. This may be a hard pill to swallow, but it’s true. For this reason, God often delays our blessings. God often leads us on detours, so that we may use this extra time to prepare ourselves for what we’re ill-prepared for, so that we’re ready when opportunity knocks. But here’s the thing about opportunity: he’s notorious for making surprise visits.
Many people, however, dislike surprise visits. When I was in college, my girlfriend made it perfectly clear that she didn’t like such visits, saying, “Larry, don’t ever come by here unannounced.” Although I laughed it off, I remembered those words. But she’s not alone; I, too, hate surprise visits. If you pop up by my place, I may peek out the blinds, but I may or may not answer the door. Nevertheless, opportunity pops up when he’s good and ready, whether we like it or not. But this is why detours are so important: they give us time to prepare and equip ourselves for opportunity’s surprise visits. They give us time to get ready for what we’re unready for.
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