I love going to concerts; when I was younger, I would not only go to concerts, but usually meet the band and hang out with them after the shows.

One band that I absolutely loved was Earthsuit…any one else remember them? They eventually split and one of the lead singers went on to form the band Mutemath.

After my husband and I moved our family to Virginia, I was delighted to see that Mutemath was coming to a town only a couple hours away. I told my husband that we had to go see them. We got tickets and awaited the big night.

The night finally arrived and we were on our way.

We drove about 20 minutes and we got a call that we had to go back to the house.

I was so disappointed.

But strangely enough, this wasn't the first time I had gotten about 20 minutes down the road only to have my plans completely derailed.

Years earlier, when my husband and I were still newlyweds, I had been excited to attend a work Christmas party. I had moved the 3 ½ hours east once we were married, so I worked remotely and was looking forward to seeing my co-workers, catching up, meeting new clients face-to-face, and enjoying one of my favorite yearly events.

Because we would be gone most of the day and evening, we arranged for two different babysitters. The first sitter picked them up while we were getting ready and took them out for some fun activities.

Then the phone rang.

She had gotten into a car accident - with the kids in the car.

Thankfully, everyone was okay, but the car was wrecked. We went to go pick up the kids and take them back home with us.

No big deal, we would just have to wait until the next sitter came to pick them up. We’d only be a little late leaving.

The next sitter was late…I was getting antsy, but I tried to stay patient. The parties usually lasted a while, so we would have plenty of time to see everyone.

She arrived and took the kids back to her house and we left. Finally on the road!

Only 20 minutes down the road….

Flat tire.

My husband changed it, but by the time he finished, he was greasy, sweaty, and completely disheveled. There was no way he was going to the party looking like that.

So we went home.

He told me to go without him. By then, he was tired and stressed, and it would take too long for him to get ready again.

I was disappointed, but I still had a small window of time. I was determined to make it.

I got back in the car and headed out.

20 minutes down the road, I felt like God was telling me to turn back. He had given us signs all day long…and now this heavy feeling that I was not supposed to leave.

Maybe I should have gotten the message earlier. The accident. The late sitter. The flat tire. It felt as though every attempt I made to get to that party was being blocked.

Any one that knows me, knows I do not give up easily. I am stubborn to a fault. Have you ever heard the phrase “cut your nose off to spite your face?” That's me. But I could not deny that God was telling me to turn around, so I obeyed.

I got home and my husband was surprised to see me. I told him what happened and said I don't know why we couldn't go, I was upset about it, but I knew God had a reason even if I didn't know what it was.

The next morning we got a call to come pick up the kids.

During the night, the babysitter had left them alone. A neighbor saw them outside, called the police, and we were contacted.

If we had been at the party and stayed overnight 3 ½ hours away, we would not have been able to be there for the kids when they needed us.

It all became clear why it was important for me to miss the party and stay home for my new family.

What had seemed like one frustrating obstacle after another now looked like a series of detours that had kept us exactly where we needed to be.

Years later, when we had to turn around on our way to the Mutemath concert, I remembered that Christmas party.

Did I ever find out the reason I had to miss my concert? No.

There was no phone call the next morning that explained everything. No moment when all the pieces suddenly fell into place.

We simply missed the concert.

And maybe that's the harder kind of faith.

It's easy to look back at the Christmas party and say, “Oh! That's why, God.”

It's much harder when there is no explanation.

There was no clear-cut reason. Maybe God protected us from something that night. Maybe our being home changed something we'll never know about. Or maybe there was a reason I couldn't possibly understand from my limited perspective.

I don't know.

And that's the point.

Sometimes we can see the path and the reason why, and sometimes it's unclear…but He is my navigator and He always knows the right way.

Sometimes God shows you why He rerouted you, and other times He simply asks you to trust the detour.

Even when we don't know the reason why, we can trust the Navigator.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” — Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)