TAKING THE SCENIC ROUTE

I was pushing my grocery cart to the parking lot at Wal Mart when I realized that I forgot where I parked.  I ended up making a giant circle and when I finally spotted my car, I was pushing the cart back toward the store instead of away from it. As I unloaded my groceries, I noticed an old man with a huge smile on his face walking toward me and looking straight at me.  His smile was so jolly, he was almost laughing. Then finally he spoke and I realized what had him so amused: "And here I thought only us old guys took the scenic route," he said. "I guess I wasn't supposed to see that," he added with a chuckle.

I drove home feeling amused by his comment. The things we do really are entertaining at times. It's great to be organized and sharp minded, but sometimes it's just more fun to take the scenic route through life. Have you ever taken a wrong turn on a road trip and discovered something amazing that you would have missed if you had followed your directions perfectly? That's what I'm talking about. It's these chance surprises that make life more adventurous and full of discoveries. And if we live life with a strict set of rules, we miss out on some great scenery.

I'm not talking about moral or ethical rules.  I'm talking about the self-imposed rules we create for ourselves and our children.  These rules cause us to make decisions that prevent fun and discovery. I know people who do everything according to a rigid set of rules, and I find myself not wanting to be around them.  Everything I do and say comes under their scrutiny.  I can't live up to their orderly expectations.

I'd like to think that even God takes the scenic route sometimes. Life isn't all about rules. Sometimes it's about the reasons behind the things we do. But when we're rigid and rule-minded, we miss the reasons and we miss the chance to discover beautiful details about people, places, and things.




If a husband insists on a perfectly ordered home every day, he might overlook when his wife doesn't feel well and that's why the house is a mess. He makes his ridiculous rule more important than his wife.  Another example is someone who makes it a rule never to accept charity or any kind of help.  That pride deprives others of both the satisfaction of helping, and the blessing they'll get in return.  Think of the friendships that don't have a chance to bloom because of stubborn pride.

Taking the scenic route is sometimes the best road to take. If I had been rule-minded and sharp that day at Wal Mart, I would have taken note of where I parked. But I would have missed out on a happy moment of seeing an old man laugh and being the reason for his amusement. Some of life's best moments happen when we toss our rigid rules, reject our strict standards and instead take the scenic route.