The Hope Found in Country Roads

My wife and I used to drive in the country of Southern Illinois with coffee in hand and conversations on the lips. We would go at night and just putt around the countryside. We often saw deer (more times than we didn't) and other animals.

Our practice was to go for a while, then turn. Repeating that until we were ready to go home. There was one occasion where we took a "wrong turn". We ended up in the middle of a field. Because we were not on a real time frame, then there was no need to panic, just laugh at the situation. There was also a time when a road looked "travelable" but became something no sedan should be going down.

Those were memories that her and I shared and will ever treasure. Some of those roads that might have been "wrong turns" or that ended up being not so "travelable" roads, were probably marked out by farmers, going down them to get to their fields or where they parked their implements. They were only there because the farmer created them, then others followed behind, over time. As we think about that, it brings us to this week's quote...

Hope is like a road in the country; there wasn't ever a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence. ~Lin Yutang

As you go through life, what road will you go down, that may not be a road in the beginning? However, as you trailblaze the path, the road comes into existence. It also becomes one that people will follow as they continue to go down the same road...one that you helped carve which gives people hope.

You can be a hope giver. You can take out the scariness of a dark path/road. You can be one that shows them, "It is OK" to go down, cause you're ahead, and you've seen what's ahead.

Or maybe you are going to go down a road that others have already gone down, so it gives you hope. It could be any tragedy, news of failing health, unknown surgical procedure, relationship difficulties, bullying, peer pressure, etc.

Go down and make new roads, giving others hope and go down existing roads, which give you hope! Don't think a turn in life is a wrong turn, it may be just the turn you needed to make.

Enjoying the "roads" I take!