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In life we sometimes encounter detours. A detour is when you get rerouted from your original course or direction. The reason a detour appears is because typically there is some type of safety hazard on the original path. One of the most common types of detours is on the road while driving or riding in a vehicle. In those cases usually there is construction happening, a car accident, pedestrians, or some other type of obstruction.
When you have to change direction while on your way to a destination sometimes it can add time to your journey. Time being added to your journey can be discouraging because in the event that you are on your way to somewhere significant, you do not necessarily want to arrive late. Have you ever shown up somewhere late just for the purpose of your arrival to be ending soon after you get there?
For example, have you ever gone to a party, church service, or meeting late? And by the time you walk in the door they are wrapping up and everyone has either already left or is making their way out. This is what can happen when you get delayed by a detour-you can show up late and conclude or feel as though going was not even worth it.
As you probably know, a detour is not exclusive to the road. You can experience a detour in your life as well. Sometimes it can take you longer to do things that other people in your same lane have been able to do in a shorter length of time. This can feel unsettling, affect flattening, and motivation killing. In these moments you may end up asking yourself, “why should I go on?”
When I started my blogging journey all of my mentors at the time were talking about how things really kick into gear around the six to eight month mark. Here I am going on four years later and I have not hit the heights that I would have liked to by now. The Bible says that a hope deferred makes the heart sick. Sometimes your hope will get deferred-things may not happen in the manor or timing you would like them to. Subsequently your heart may get sick-you may succumb to depression. The Bible also says however, that though the vision is delayed wait on it. Have you ever been in standstill traffic or had to wait in a line or waiting room? Sometimes the only choice life gives you is to wait.
Just because your peer or contemporary gets to the destination before you, does not mean that there is anything intrinsically unique about them that allowed them to do so. Being on time can be a luxury. Sometimes the circumstances of your life do not allow you to be on time-detour or not.
If you are familiar with the Pokémon series, Ash Ketchum, the main protagonist, in the first episode of the anime goes to see the Pokémon Professor-Professor Oak, to begin his Pokémon journey. He goes to see the professor so that he can get his first Pokémon. Ash is late to his appointment with the professor and as a result all of his options were gone.
By the time he showed up the only Pokémon that was left was Pikachu. Fast forward 26 years and 1,215 episodes later, and Ash is a Pokémon champion, has had every Kanto starter [so he did not miss out on anything], and he has been all around the Pokémon world. Oh, and Pokémon is the best-selling franchise in the world.
A delay is not a denial. It may feel like one but that is because you feel as though you are missing out on something. That feeling of being late is an acknowledgement that you have an appointment. Any valuable appointment comes with a grace period. The important delays in your life have a grace period. You may feel like you’re late, but when you show up you will be right on time.
Ken
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