You Can’t Get There From Here
By Greg Snow

“You can’t get there from here.” You don’t have to speak Minnesotan to hear the frustration that comes with this common phrase used particularly during the warmer months for those of us who live in the western suburbs. We’ve become accustomed to seeing the bright orange detour signs that remind us all too frequently, “you can’t get there from here.”

Drive a short distance from almost anywhere and you will have the opportunity to experience this phenomenon for yourself. While we expect to see a few of these temporary road closures on the highway, we don’t expect all of them to be detoured at the same time (Hwy’s 7, 12, 312, 394, and 494). And just when you think you have it all figured out, another sign emerges out of thin air. Familiar examples in the Chaska area can be seen on Engler, Lyman, Victoria Drive, and Bavaria, just to name a few.

Like it or not, detours are a way of life in Minnesota. I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about it this way, but I’d like to suggest that as we travel the road of life, there are plenty of detours that we are forced to maneuver along the way. Some we can see coming while others pop up out of thin air. Detours of physical and emotional loss, disappointment of our spouse or children, failed expectations from our friends or co-workers, not to mention the detour of shattered dreams and the way things are supposed to be. Sometimes it seems to be one detour after another, and we say to ourselves, “you can’t get there from here.”

But there is hope. The recently completed and now open Hwy 312 is a tangible sign of hope that detours don’t last forever. This wonderful new addition to our community provides direct access into the heart of the city.

“You can’t get there from here” isn’t a new concept, and Jesus speaks about the many detours we face in life. Don’t be fooled by the detours of being a better person, doing more, and earning your own place. Be assured of the spiritual fact that as hard as you try, “you can’t get there from here.” Jesus reminds of His love and forgiveness when He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

This news is a great reminder of the hope we have in Jesus Christ and His authority over the detours that life throws at us each day. New life in Christ doesn’t mean that we won’t have to deal with detours, but it does mean that He will help us navigate our way back to His path and the forgiving arms of our Father who is in heaven. Jesus’ death, resurrection, and promise to take us to be with Him, provides us direct access into the heart of the Father. That’s great news.

Greg Snow is the pastor at St. John's Lutheran Church in Chaska. This column ran in the July 17 edition of the Chaska Herald.