The Road

A week ago I found myself turning west off of Louisiana 26 between Elton and Oberlin.  My job required that I be somewhere that day promptly for an appointment.  As I headed out of town, I knew right off that my GPS was leading me down the wrong road, but I wanted to make absolutely sure so I double-checked the address and then followed the road to its end.  After making a quick telephone call, it was confirmed that I was temporarily lost.  But all was not lost.  I found myself on a beautiful country road.  There was not another soul around.

The sun was blazing all around me and then I came to a point in the road where the trees made a canopy over the road.  The wooded area was thick with brush and timber.  The sun filtered through the trees and the muted sunlight made things look magical.  I stopped the vehicle and rolled down the windows.  A crow was cawing in the distance.  The air smelled cool and fresh.

Peace.  Just a mile to the east is a road that teems with passenger vehicles, grain trucks, tanker trucks, agricultural equipment and an endless stream of people in a rush to get somewhere.  Here I was lost, but that wasn't such a bad thing when you find a little piece of heaven on a back country road.

How long has it been since you turned down a back road that you've never been before?  How long has it been since you slowed down your pace?  Got a good night's rest?  Spent time thinking about and prioritizing things that really matter?

I read something written (Author Unknown) that attempts to capture the gist of this post better than I ever could:

There is more to life

than measuring its speed.

Let me look upward into

the branches of the towering oak

and know that it grew great and strong

because it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me

to send my roots deep into the

soil of life's enduring values.