The Road Less Travelled

This afternoon I found myself driving up a "road less travelled".  It was a narrow, almost one-laned, drive that wound straight up the highest mountain in West Virginia.  Inspite of a heavily overcast sky, the fall colors had started to come to the lower reaches of the mountain.

The higher I traveled, the more color accosted my eyes and the more fabulous the views became.  When I finally arrived at my destination, I found myself in the upper elbow crease of one of the "hollows" that run through the hills and vales of the area.  This elbow had been cleared of major brush and trees, creating a sweeping meadow that provided a front row view straight back down the mountain to the valley below.  It felt like I had landed in another land and time, almost. 

The meadow around the small home was dotted with trees in differing stages of color.  The cattle, sheep, and goats grazed lazily about the steep slopes.  The only sound penetrating this ultimate pastoral scene was the wind blowing through the brittle leaves of the autumn trees and the occasion bleet or lowe of one of the animals in view.  It did not matter which direction I turned, my eyes were met with granduer and of life and nature at peace with each other.  Accept for the modern modes of transportation invading the scene and the few poles with their infringing lines and wires, this place could very well look the same as it did 100 or 200 years ago, much as it was when the land was first settled.

,After spending a hour leaning over the front porch rail with my friend and talking about the view and everything in it, along with a few wishes and dreams (what more could I wish with such a scene spread out before me?), I got her permission to take some picture of some old buildings on her property that were tumbling down.  I spent the next half hour or so wandering and enjoying what God had to offer in "eye candy" for the day.

What, I am wondering, is the big picture? Why would God up root us from where we have spent our entire lives, raised our family, and all we know, have and love to move us to the ends of the earth (no...just to the other end of the continent).  I think I have found lesson one: It is okay to slow down and watch life at half-speed.  This is scary, I think I have unplugged from "The Grid".   I'll let you know if it works.