绕道

我居住的加拿大安大略省，在一月份有很多雪，下雪天的好处是修路工程减少了；但当天气回暖时，我们便似乎立刻进入“绕道”的季节了。早上离家时，你计划好走那一条路，因为你认为你熟识这些街道；可是，“绕道”的标志一旦出现，你便要走它指示你的另一条路了。

那天早上，门徒醒来时发觉耶稣不在，我猜想他们也可能会有以上的感受，他们大概也计划会像平日一样，与众人同行和从耶稣身上学习怎样与他们交往。群众已经开始聚集，他们盼望找到耶稣和请衪帮助他们。过了不久，看来人人都在寻找耶稣了。

然而，耶稣却绕道到了另一个地方。祂知道如果你想帮助人，你一定先要祈求父神帮助你，叫你得到能力和好好装备自己。衪知道衪需要找时间单独与衪的父一起，祂需要重新得力和重新定向；衪也知道祂的使命不单是在当地的群众身上，所以祂走遍那个地方，在其他城市的街道上到处行走。

今天你有没有拨出时间与神一起、好让你在衪面前重新得力和重新定向呢？衪有没有指示你要绕道？

亲爱的神，有时我们是如此忙碌，以致我们忘记了拨出时间与祢一起。求祢引导我们，把祢放在我们生命的首位；求祢保守我们继续听到祢的指示，又帮助我们愿意绕道而行。奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。

35 次日早晨，天未亮的时候，耶稣起来到旷野地方去，在那里祷告。
36 西门和同伴追了他去，
37 遇见了就对他说：“众人都找你。”
38 耶稣对他们说：“我们可以往别处去，到邻近的乡村，我也好在那里传道，因为我是为这事出来的。”
39 于是在加利利全地，进了会堂，传道、赶鬼。

Detours

"When they found him, they exclaimed: 'Everyone is looking for you!'" — Mark 1:37

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In Ontario, where I live, there is lots of snow in January. One advantage to the snow is that it limits road construction. When the weather turns warmer, it seems we move right into a “Detour” season. When you leave your house in the morning, you have a plan and you think you know the roads you’ll be taking. Then a “Detour” sign pops up and takes you a different way.

I wonder if that is how the disciples felt that morning when they woke up and Jesus wasn’t in the house. They were probably planning on another day of walking with people and learning from Jesus as he interacted with them. A crowd had begun to gather in hopes of finding Jesus and asking him to help. Before long, it seemed everyone was looking for Jesus.

But Jesus had taken a detour. He knew that if you want to help others, you must first be equipped and prepared with the help of the Father. He knew he needed time away to be with his Father. He needed to refresh and refocus. Jesus also knew that his mission extended beyond the local crowd, so he traveled throughout the region to the streets of other towns.

Have you taken time to be with God today, to be refreshed and refocused in his presence? Could he be pointing to a detour?

Prayer

Dear God, sometimes we are so busy that we forget to take time to be with you. Guide us to put you first in our lives. Keep us listening to your direction, and help us to be willing to take detours. In Jesus’ name, Amen.