Monday, November 30, 2015

A Road Less Traveled

A Road Less Traveled…

 Close your eyes and visualize the image of those words. What do you see in your mind’s eye? Maybe you see a long and winding road that leads to a quiet neighborhood. It is a happy place where people gather and share life together. Or maybe the idea of a road less traveled brings to mind a dirt road in the country where blackberries grow on the side of the road and simplicity is the order of the day. A road less traveled might be where one comes at the end of a long, tiring day and the only hustle-and-bustle is everyone shuffling in to take his or her place at the dinner table. It doesn’t have to be a country setting, though. It could be a place in the city or suburbs where one feels safe and loved. A road less traveled signifies a cozy area where one can grow and learn and enjoy life as a gift from God




Life Can Be Overwhelming

The world seems to be changing at a rapid pace. The breakneck speed of its constant motion can be overwhelming. Do you ever find yourself longing for a simpler time? Honestly, I do!  The modern world is very different than the world I experienced as a child. There are times when I long for those moments of my childhood when I ran barefoot through a sprinkler on a hot summer day or the nights when I sat outside under a star-studded sky around a bonfire and ate blackened marshmallows cooked over the fire on the end of a stick.  With a longing for simpler times, does that mean that something is missing from my life? How can I (we) live in the 21st century and recapture those simpler times when life seemed more joyous and less complex?



Unplug and Interact

First, I believe we have to refocus our efforts on what is truly meaningful in our lives. While technology has provided advancements in almost every area of life, it has also created more responsibility. Most of us cannot vacation without feeling the pressure of taking our laptop and checking in with work on a daily basis. We have come to feel conditioned to believe that our cell phones should be our constant companions. Instead of interacting with others, we are constantly plugged in to some form of technology. Is this the way we should spend the majority of our time? While I do believe technology has its place in our modern world, it should not take the place of human interaction. Only real connections with others can create warmth and compassion necessary for meaningful and lasting relationships.

A Spiritual Journey

Have you ever considered your spiritual walk as a way of walking down sparsely traveled roads? The Bible tells us that “narrow is the road that leads to salvation”. Matthew 7:14 The Lord longs for us to walk with Him into places that are less noisy and chaotic. He calls us to travel down quiet pathways that give us an opportunity to hear His quiet, still voice and allow His Holy Spirit to shape our lives to become reflections of His goodness. And then, He calls us to go forth and share our joy with others.

Truly Caring For Others

It is my belief that our greatest calling in life is to help others. In order to truly give and be available when others are hurting, many times sacrifice is a required. When striving to live life on the road less traveled, there are times when we might have to be willing to put our own wants and needs on the back burner in order to give to someone else. The reward of giving sacrificially far outweighs the personal sacrifice!

Planning Time To Enjoy Life

Those moments when life feels good and happy are rare. Why? All too often, it is because we strive to be the best in too many areas of our lives. We schedule too many activities and we come home at bedtime, exhausted and dreading another day of doing the same. While life holds many responsibilities and all of us have commitments that we must fulfill, it is ok to say no to busyness when our schedules become overwhelming. Pencil in time to relax doing your favorite activity. Take a Sunday drive to a destination that refreshes and recharges you. Life will be waiting on you when you come back. Plan an escape from the stress from time to time. Allow yourself to be lazy and stay in your pjs all day! Take time to talk with your spouse and really listen. The list of possibilities is endless. The point is making time to really enjoy life!! This, too, is a way of taking the road less traveled.






What Does Taking A Less Traveled Road Mean To You?

My writing focus has been on ways to make life more meaningful by suggesting a few pointed ideas of what it could mean to take the road less traveled. It is my hope that these few suggestions can assist you finding ways to connect with others and spend time with God. By slowing down and choosing to live without so many distractions, true joy has a chance of being experienced among the chaos of a fast-paced world. However, it is not all-inclusive. What are ways in which you and your family take the road less traveled? Please share! I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!




2 comments:

  1. Love this post, Donna. So glad Jim posted on FB. I look forward to following you. :)

    ReplyDelete