Rerouting: When God Asks Something Unexpected

Helen Syski reflects on the importance of Jesus’ words, “Thy will be done.” 

Wrestling with a difficult and important decision for months, I was feeling anxious and overwhelmed by the path revealed. Could it possibly be what God wanted? As I poured out my soul to God, the crescendo ended with a cry of my heart:  

“This is not my plan!”  

The cold water of clarity poured over my prayerful tirade.  

Indeed, this was not my plan. It was God’s plan. Wasn’t that what I had been praying for all these months? It was time to take action. I wanted the safe path everyone else traveled. But God was asking me to leap into a wilderness to fight His fight. Turns out, it was the safest path for our family.  

Surprising Paths 

God works in mysterious ways. He is a masterful chess player, moving each piece with full knowledge of future moves by all sides. Sometimes He takes us by surprise with what He asks us, because He can see what we cannot.  

I was surprised when He led us to homeschooling; Covid hit that winter. I was surprised when He led us into our local public schools; my son found the friends he had longed for, and the community was the support I needed through a difficult pregnancy. 

My surprise at discerning something unexpected over the years has changed from shock-to-the-system to aha!-I-found-You! Being infinite, God sees so many more options than we do. We can learn to delight in them rather than be deflated by the unexpected. 

Destination: Heaven 

Those surprises aren’t new destinations, just directions to your Destination. Keep your ear to His mouth in prayer as He reveals each turn to you one at a time. Staying left under a highway sign that says “I-93 Boston” does not mean I am traveling to Boston. It is simply directional; I must first head toward Boston before veering off at Route 3 to make my way to Cape Cod.  

God gives us directional discernment; the stated direction does not equal the final destination. We have one final Destination: heaven. We each have our own unique route to get there, and God guides us turn by turn. 

Sometimes God Reroutes Us 

God is constantly rerouting us to avoid accidents and delays. Perhaps we prefer well-worn routes and familiar landmarks, but those can get snagged in traffic. God reroutes us to unknown roads in order to get us to heaven quicker … or to avoid an accident. 

Ever missed a turn because your music is up and you’re enjoying the ride too much? God reroutes us then, just as He will if we, in our pride, deliberately take a route other than the one He has mapped for us. As soon as we tune in to Him, He has us back on the right path. 

The wonderful thing about God is that there is no you-can’t-get-there-from-here. Being outside of time, God reroutes us through all our twists and turns the moment He conceived us and formed our immortal soul. God holds us in existence through it all with His patient love. We simply need to buckle up and follow Him. 

Not My Plan, Just Yours  

It is helpful to note in discernment, “What is my plan?” When we acknowledge our own voice, we are better able to recognize and hear His voice.  

And when you hear yourself say, “That is not my plan!” simply add, with Jesus, “Thy plan be done.” 

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Copyright 2025 Helen Syski
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