It Makes Me Want to Take the Back Road

Where I live, there are quite a few routes I can take to get home. The fastest route is a busy four lane highway. This is the way I take most frequently, since time is usually a factor.

But then there are the days when I am in no hurry to get home. The kids are sleeping in the back seat, the weather is beautiful and I have no pressing plans. On these days, I always take the longest back route possible.

It is comprised of many winding roads through hills, trees and fields. Some roads are paved, while others are gravel and dirt. The speed limit is unknown and I am often times the only vehicle in sight.

In the silence of my car, I take in the beauty of God and man's creations alike; from the peaceful creek on my left to the historic farmhouses on my right. The old abandoned shops which hold more history than my brain can imagine, but I try to imagine anyway. I take in the familiar southern smells of the trees and growth of the season.

I then approach a very simple, man-made sign. It is a rotting piece of wood painted white with crude handwritten black wording. Though the sign is small, its message stands out among the nature surrounding it:

"Count your blessings, not your burdens."

It is such a simple message, so well known to most of us that it has become a cliche. And, though artlessly spelled out among the glory of God's nature, its message shines through clearer than if it were spoken within church walls. It succeeds in making me pause for a moment to reflect on all for which I am grateful. I peek at the children asleep in the back seat. I envision the home I am heading towards and all that awaits me there. I reflect on the beauty and history that surrounds me on those back roads.

A basic message sent in the coarsest form and yet it is a beautiful reminder of what is important. It makes it so simple to forget my burdens and instantly lightens my load, my weight and my heart. Above all the wondrous things I pass on those rustic back roads, it is that sign that makes me look forward to my drive.

It is that reminder that makes me want to take the back road.

"Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity."
~St. Therese of Lisieux

For more great reading, check out: These Five of Mine Plus Two