WEEKLY PURSUIT with Ryan

Helping you pursue God, people, and purpose - one step at a time.

Hey friend,

You may have noticed this week's Weekly Pursuit showed up a little later than normal...
Or maybe you didn't. 😂

I briefly considered pretending this was all part of a brilliant illustration about delays... but if I'm honest, it was mostly just life happening.

Still...

The timing made me think.

So much of life doesn't happen according to our schedule.

There are delays we didn't choose.
Detours we didn't expect.
Distractions we never saw coming.

And if you're anything like me, it's easy to wonder if those moments somehow mean we've missed God's plan.

We imagine God's will like a perfectly straight highway.

No traffic.
No construction.
No wrong turns.

Just point A to point B.

But when I read Scripture, that's almost never how God works.

Joseph's path to the palace went through a pit and a prison.
Moses spent forty years in the wilderness before leading Israel.
Paul's missionary journeys were constantly interrupted by closed doors, shipwrecks, imprisonment, and unexpected opportunities.
Even Jesus often stopped for interruptions that became miracles.

Here's what I'm learning:
God has never needed a straight path to accomplish His perfect purpose.
One of my favorite sayings is this:
​"God can draw a perfectly straight line with a very crooked stick."

And if that's true...

Then maybe the delay isn't wasted.
Maybe the detour is actually directing you.
Maybe the distraction you didn't plan for is the very person God planned for you to notice.

We spend so much energy trying to get back to "the plan" that we sometimes miss what God is doing right in front of us.

The older I get, the more I realize that God's greatest work often happens in the interruptions.

The meeting that ran long.
The conversation you didn't expect.
The season that lasted longer than you prayed for.
The door that closed.
The opportunity that disappeared.

None of it surprises Him.

Our lives may feel messy.

But God's pen never slips.

He's been writing redemption stories with imperfect people since Genesis.

He isn't discouraged by our crooked paths.

He's remarkably good at using them.

Weekly Resources

Gradually Then Suddenly by Mark Batterson In this illuminating book, Mark Batterson reveals that every area of life—from personal growth to professional development to spiritual transformation—follows the same pattern: gradually then suddenly. What we perceive as overnight success is the result of little decisions compounding over time. Available on Amazon

SENT | Week 1 In Week 1 of our SENT series, we journey to the ancient city of Antioch - one of the most influential cities in the Roman Empire and the birthplace of one of the most influential churches in Christian history. Through Acts 11-13, we'll discover how God used ordinary believers in an unlikely place to launch a movement that would change the world. Available on Youtube

Patriots QB Drake Maye Uses His Platform to ‘Spread the Good News’ Relevant Magazine - relevantmagazine.com Read Here

So here's my challenge for you this week:
Instead of asking, "God, why is this taking so long?"

Try asking...
"What are You teaching me in the waiting?"

Instead of fighting every detour...
Look for His direction.

Instead of seeing every interruption as an obstacle...
Consider that it might be an invitation.

Because our God has always been in the business of turning delays into development...
Detours into destiny...
And distractions into divine appointments.

Take a deep breath.
Trust the Author.
He hasn't lost the plot.

Praying,
Ryan