Hi, all. Just a thought to help start your weekend.

Right off the bat, I will admit this is not one of the best photos I have ever made. I realize that. I am also not in the habit of taking pictures while I drive. I would like that to be made known. However, it happened here.

We were traveling a long straight stretch of Utah highway this particular day.  Few cars were seen coming or going. Even fewer trees were to be found. Every once in a while, we would see a lone exit ramp seemingly leading off toward nothing at all. 

Being a Mississippi boy who was raised on those rolling tree-lined hills at the Tennessee line, I am familiar with roads that include lush green grass, farms, towns and neighborhoods. If you miss one highway exit, there will be another in just a little while. They may lead off to small communities, but they do lead somewhere. And so, this particular driving experience through Utah was an odd one for me. I was amazed, to say the least, at the mile-after-mile stretches of absolute nothingness.

When we crossed into Colorado, headed south through Durango, and ventured toward Highway 550 (the “Million Dollar Highway”), which is another story for another day, I felt instantly more at home. There were towns, trees, waterways, and various landscapes all around.

Sometimes life’s roads become a little barren. We go for hours, days, maybe even weeks at a time without much communication with the Lord. Our Bible study or worship time lacks something. Our prayer life either dwindles or just doesn’t provide any powerful results. During those times, it is important to remember that God never moved. He is always present. What changed was that we took a different road. We ventured off into a difficult experience. We managed to stray from what is best, and ended up traveling a long lonely road of nothingness.

What’s interesting to me is that the very same highway that carries me through the nothingness of this life actually can eventually lead me right back to the mountains of his mercy and grace, if only I stay focused on the road ahead, be mindful of the other travelers, and remain steadfast in my journey. As a Christian finishes his travels, he will reach that beautiful place where he feels so much more at home. I guarantee it.

When you grow tired of life’s scenery, keep traveling, my friend. Changes are just up ahead. You may need to cross a desert first. You may have to venture into another “state” of mind. But His blessings which lie ahead are all worth the journey.

Just a thought. ’Til later.

Rev. Brad Campbell can be reached at mastah.pastah@yahoo.com.