Taking it all in on rural route 17

Well, I'm writing this entry from the front seat of my momma's SUV on rural route 17. There are maybe 4 other cars sharing this road with us as we travel from one podunk town to the next. We're on our way back from a rather fun-filled venture to southwest Florida, just me and mom. Most people headed our way back from Florida would travel on the speedy interstate, but not my mom. You see, mom's not all about the fast lane and the merging car madness. Plus, she's one of them adventurous types. You know, the type that doesn't want to see the same thing twice. She wants to blaze a new trail. So this brings us to route 17, a slower road that takes us past many cornfields but not past many Walmarts. I sleep for most of the journey, but when I wake up I wonder why we've been in South Carolina for what seems like a month. I say, "Mom, let's get on the interstate. This is taking forever." She says," Cool, look at this cool town," or, "look at that deer," or, "look at that neato bridge. I don't like the interstate. It's too crowded. Plus, I wouldn't have seen all of this cool stuff." I just moan and lay back down, smiling to myself abut my mom's stubborn, adventurous spirit. But I wouldn't change my mom for the world. In fact, I think we could all take a page out of her book. It seems as if many of us are only content to live life in the fast lane, speeding along with everyone else to next destination. Life becomes a blur, and we discover that the destination isn't even as cool as we hyped it up to be. Where's the rush? Is start to think, "How often do I get to chill with my mom, who is one of my best friends? Why am I in such a hurry to get back home? Is it just watch T.V.?" No it's not. It's just that I have the same problem as most others. I haven't learned to enjoy the journey. Most of us don't even know why we're in such a hurry. Maybe it's because we think the next stop will solve our problems and relax our restless spirits. We treat life as this big problem that might be solved by the next big event around the corner. However, life is not a problem to be solved but an adventure to be lived. God uses the journey of this life with all of it's roadblocks and scenic views to prepare us for the final destination, our eternal home with Him. So let's slow down, take an exit off the interstate and see what kind of cool stuff God wants to show us on rural route 17.

Music I listen to that my mom discovered that she really liked: The Fray, Sufjan Stevens, Derek Webb, Shapiro, Keane
Books: Finished "Pilgrim's Progress" (absolute must read, and if you say you read it, but you were young when you did, read it again), finished "Red Moon Rising" (must read, proves that God is still moving in mighty ways and still wants to work mightily in our generation), still reading Journey of Desire