None of us get through life without a few detours. They come at times we don't expect, they challenge us to say the course and they force us to realize that control is partly an illusion.     Opportunity comes with so many different faces that we often don't recognize it. That's probably why we sometimes miss its call. A previous generation said that opportunity comes dressed in overalls. And they were largely right, for nothing succeeds like hard work. Our generation thinks that opportunity comes with a college diploma. It may, but there's no guarantee.  The divine opportunity comes in what is, to our human eyes, the most unlikely garb of all. It's no wonder we don't recognize it; or that, recognizing it, we resist it. This Advent season is an especially good time to experience the divine opportunity. Any time is God's season; but because you and I find certain settings and circumstances especially hospitable to religious experience, Advent and Lent are particularly attractive. How do you deal with Detours? I suppose you could quit, but then what would you go back to? Life is filled with detours, expected and unexpected. When you find a road closed, a door shut or a window only part way open, don't take it personally. God isn't singling you out for punishment, but for a new adventure. I suppose you could complain about it. That's OK I guess since we need to get it out, but staying there in bitterness and self-pity doesn't change the fact or make the journey less arduous. It may make you more lonely as people begin drifting away from the negativity. I suppose you could look upon the detour as a unique opportunity to see and experience something new. To explore new parts of yourself, develop confidence and become a guide for those who follow you. You have been chosen to walk a different path. Congratulations. How do you think you've been doing thus far with your journey? Any advice for those who are following your footsteps?   Sermon audio: A Life of Detours 12.22.13E A Life of Detours 12.22.13late Sermon Notes: Sermon Notes 12.22.13 An Interrupted Life - Magi