A Relentless Hope: On the Courage to Continue in the Face of Life’s Detours
by Edward Holmes
A Relentless Hope:
On the Courage to Continue in the Face of Life’s Detours
by Edward Holmes
“Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”
—Proverbs 23:18
When we travel, my wife often reminds me to take the next exit a quarter mile after we’ve passed it. I sigh, she apologizes, and the kids cry and ask if we’re lost—it’s a game we play. From city to city, coast to coast, we’re always in a state of rerouting.
Rerouting… rerouting… rerouting…
I hear these words echo down the crooked roadways of my own life. For many of us, this road is dotted with burned bridges, detours, and reminders that the destination is distant. As we live, we find ourselves at the mercy of hopeless and unplanned events, which, without the understanding of the nature of God, leads us to perceive Him as cruel and distant.
But what if these detours serve a purpose in the grand scheme of the Great Unfolding, and if so, how do we navigate them?
I have experienced unplanned events, and perhaps, so have you. The wounds of my parents’ separation are carried in my heart, and I ruminate on ghosts of faded friendships. I’ve been no stranger to the anxiety of sudden career loss as a husband, crippling debt, and unexpected relocation. The grief of lost newborn breath still clouds my view in the tender moments of life. And yet here we are, you and I, still alive—still reading words on the internet, still carrying on.
We’ve all attempted to plan our futures, but when life takes us down an unexpected road, we shake our fists at God and curse the unwanted circumstances that brought us there.
We are rerouting…
We observe the lives of others online and wonder if they prayed harder, fasted longer, or lived holier to be better off than us. We measure what “little” we think we have with the perceived “greatness” the next guy has amassed. On and on the comparison goes.
Let me remind you that none of us, unrighteous or righteous, are exempt from the effects of existing in a fallen world. We all get more than we deserve; we all get less—and even so, God is just. Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 5:45: “...for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with you or me because we long for something more or battle hopelessness; we are simply navigating this precarious and unforgiving road called life, which just so happens to have peaks and valleys.
So, how can we hold onto hope when life calls for detours? Maybe I can share some advice that has helped me have the courage to navigate some of life’s most hazardous turns:
God likes to use what he’s created. One of my favorite qualities about the Father is how He uses you and me in ways that aren’t too foreign to our design. His plan for your life has been etched into your personality long before last year’s heartaches sent you spiraling.
Imagine this: Before the Philistines fell at his feet, David stood before bears and lions. Simon and Andrew understood the tenacity and wisdom of fishing before they were called to converse with men about Jesus. God used the unabashed boldness of Peter to fearlessly intersect with diverse people groups. God uses your detours, your experiences, and your “you-ness” for something far greater than you can conceive.
So, how can God use you today? When you feel lost and life seems hopeless, trust the plan. God will use your unique skills, talents, and spiritual gifts in ways that give you purpose and passion. He has plans for you, “...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Pragmatically, examine the results of prior successes. Consider how far God has already carried you. Won’t He keep going? Make a list of talents, giftings, and interests that come naturally to you. Your desires are not designed by mistake. Do what you know for the Kingdom and watch it grow. When we get lost in the service of others or create something out of nothing, our hope grows, and our fears and heartaches shrink.
God is a way-maker. As we navigate this road, rest assured there will be days when we feel trapped, stuck, and utterly hopeless. There will be days when prayer is hard, and faith runs thin. When I find myself in these places, I am reminded that I serve the God of John 1:1-5, who creates what is from that which never was: ex nihilo. From Him are all things, and without Him, nothing is made that has been made. God has always been in the business of creating something new in our lives, and if we’re watching closely, we’ll see it.
Isaiah 43:19 says this: “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” This promise alone “springs forth” hope. Something new is just around the corner. Something great is about to unfold a little further down the road.
The unpaved paths of life are not here to break you but to build you. If we look closely, we’ll come to understand that dead ends are not terminal; rather, they are a place of creative opportunity. And sometimes, dead ends are just the beginning.
Hope can always be found in the midst of our despair. The book of Lamentations, written by the prophet Jeremiah, is a pouring out over the tragedy of the Babylonian invasion and destruction of Jerusalem. We’re given five chapters that detail the heartbreaking desolation and lament over sin. It feels like the enemy has had its final say. However, something interesting happens in the center of this lament, sandwiched between two chapters of utter anguish. The reader meets Jeremiah’s unfettered hope in the face of tragedy. It’s a verse you might find very familiar: “Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him’” (Lamentations 3:21-26).
He is faithful when we are surrounded by career burnout, depression, despair, divorce, death, and destruction. The fires of life, like we have witnessed in the tragic Los Angeles Fires, or the storms of life, like Hurricanes Helene and Milton, are devastating in every possible way. They are more than we can manage on our own. But they are not bigger than our God and the promises He makes and keeps.
A new day is coming!
When this new year leads us down a desolate road and the detours of life feel endless, we can recall the moments in life when God has proven his faithfulness, like the Ebenezer stone of the Bible. God is in the midst of our situation and ready to work all things together in our lives for our good (Romans 8:28).
Hope is always on the horizon as we navigate the roadways of life. If we’re watching closely, we’ll see that God is on the move, working all things together amid unexpected and unplanned events. This gives us courage. When these events come—as they always will—we must listen ever so closely for his direction. And when we do, we will find—inevitably—that hope is not too far away.
So, in this new year, we can rest assured that we’re going to make it—together.
Yes, we are forever rerouting… But God is at the wheel.
EDWARD HOLMES
Edward Holmes is a writer on a mission to spread hope into hearts through the written (and often spoken) word. He has written children's books, devotionals, and poetry collections. He shares new poems weekly through his podcast Life Lines. His writing is hopeful, humorous, and honest—all fueled by black coffee and dark chocolate.
Edward has an affinity with practical theology and biblical apologetics, previously serving as an evangelist and youth minister for seven years in Missouri. He currently resides in Illinois with his wife and kids, living every day with three reasons to keep hope alive. Edward is also a contributor at TheWayBack2Ourselves.com and producer of The Way Back Podcast’s Poetry Corner: Listen here.
If you find him online, say "Hi!" He'd love to strike up a conversation with you. You can find him on Instagram @edwardlee_on_ig.