Taking the Long Way Around

I had a strange afternoon today. I was sitting in the absolute quiet of our parish offices this afternoon (after hours and the staff had gone home) when we had a power outage. I'm lost without an internet connection, and the phones were down also, so I packed up and headed home. We have these "rolling blackouts" on hot days in Fresno...when the afternoon temps go over 105, it's not uncommon for entire sections of town to go dark for a few hours. I'm always left hoping that those who require emergency medical devices have operating generators in their homes...

So I jumped into the car and headed home, but saw immediately that the stoplight at the nearest major intersection was flashing red. Normally, it takes me about six minutes to go from Church to home, but that involves going through several major intersections.

I decided, taking a page from the driving manual of my darling husband, to opt for a different route home. I actually took off driving in the opposite direction of home, heading down smaller streets with less traveled intersections. The trip took longer than usual, but was much shorter than it would have been had I gone the more direct route and encountered endless waits at each of the flashing red light intersections.

I had time to ponder on the way, and thought about how sometimes the most direct route to something isn't always the BEST route.

We talk a lot about this topic in my Weight Watchers group. Some group members become frustrated by the seemingly very slow rate of weight loss they experience. I frequently comment that perhaps this slow pace is the more effective (and healthy) long term solution. While losing slowly, they are learning and applying the healthy habits that will help them to maintain their weight goals in the long run.

One of the keys to this "long way around" scenario is, however, persistence. If you quit halfway to your ultimate goal, you may find yourself even farther than you were when you started. Detours are ok, if we keep our eyes on the prize and have the strength of heart and will to continue along the chosen path.

I have several life goals I'm pursuing. For some of them, I've chosen the speedy route. For others, I meander along hoping that I will have the persistence to get there some day. I don't intend to quit...it may just take me a little longer to get there.

Today, taking the long way home had an added benefit: by the time I got there, Daddy had cooked dinner, fed the boys, and washed the dishes. It's amazing what one night off from those chores will do for a Mom's spirit!