Does God Use Our Detours?

There are times in life where I believe God is whispering, "Be still..." and I plow right through not fully catching the "I am God" part. I believe God engineers circumstances in my life to get me to reach out to Him. This has happened many times over the years, and I wished I had slowed down to listen a whole lot sooner.

This got me to wonder, does God use my detours?  What constitutes a detour?  Does a detour have to be a blatant outright rebellion visible to the world around us?  Can a detour be disguised as a good intention pursued at the wrong timing?
The Bible speaks for itself; just take a look at Sampson or Jonah.   God used their detours and can use mine.  I have had a few detours in my short life.  They don’t look major from the outside looking in, but they have shaped me to get to the place I am today even though they may not have been God’s best plan at the time.

God got my attention with a major life event that clearly told me I wasn’t in control.  I was slow to learn that lesson, but I did learn that God was with me always and wouldn’t leave me. Other detours in my life were busyness in my college routine, pursuit of a Master’s degree, and doing good things without the best motives.
You may say how can a Master’s degree be a bad thing?  Well, I love listening to others and attempting new things, so I went for it without seeking God’s best will.  There is nothing wrong with a Master’s degree, but for me it was not God’s best plan for me.  It took a lot for Him to get my attention and let go.  God worked through my classes orchestrating things only He can and allowing me to use information gained through those classes in my work today, and for that I am grateful.
Serving others without the right motives has occurred several times in my life.  Most recently, I ran across an organization that fulfilled the call on my life to reach children for Christ.  I volunteered while doing grad classes which took away from my focus and purpose for my service.  My intentions were good, but my heart was not completely dedicated to the work. 

As God started chipping away at the detours I was taking, He directed me back to this organization, and after a long summer of interviews and getting closer to God.  God blessed me with a position with this organization to teach Jesus to children every day.  God gave me my true heart’s desire and redirected me back to His purpose through the many twists and turns I created.  God can use our detours, but it is best if we stay close and listen for the next step.