Last month I went on a road trip with my younger brother, Dale. It was the first time that we had done anything together and truthfully, he really wasn’t looking forward to the three thousand plus mile round trip we were about to embark, but he was there for me.

We each decided that we weren’t going to push it, stopping and stretching our legs when we felt the need to and making it fun. Truthfully it was nice not be pushed by unrealistic goals [miles driven] before we stopped. We had a designated place to be on a certain day but we started out on our adventure with wiggle room [so to speak] to really see the country we had to route through.

I cannot put in words the fond memories we made that I will forever hold in my heart. We talked [he will say I did this the most] sharing parts of our childhood we didn’t know about each other; there is six years between us.

We laughed, we were goofy acting like a couple of kids, and we were comfortable to be ourselves [no judgments]. There were times when we became speechless with the beauty that we got to see with our very own eyes. Being in the moment is priceless. And sitting here bringing these memories up to surface puts a smile on my lips and fills my heart. I am forever grateful for the time we spent together. God is so good!

Usually, when he drove I kept him awake by talking and sharing or reading. It was the best time I had ever had with him. And when I drove he would sleep, which was fine because it gave me time to spend time talking to Papa God. Thanking Him for the adventure I was on with my little brother and the beauty that I got to experience.

As beautiful as the trip was overall, there were stretches of highway that seem dull. We headed out early the second morning, hours before daylight and it wasn’t long before Dale felt his eyelids were too heavy to continue in the driver’s seat. Pulling over on an exit ramp we both jumped out and ran around switching sides.

It wasn’t long before he got comfortable, and by the sound of his breathing, I knew he was sleeping sound. Side note; it wasn’t a loud snoring noise, it was just a gentle- relaxed in and out breathing. I decided to take the opportunity to plug my headset into my phone and listen to some instrumental worship music.

It is hard to explain but it was magical to experience the sunrise behind me. I don’t think I have ever driven that many miles west at sunrise. I am usually rushing off to work, maneuvering through traffic. Paying attention to school buses and looking to see my community through the lens of Father God so that I can pray is my normal mindset as I drive.

But not this time, seriously there wasn’t any traffic I was the only one on the road. I had nowhere to go but to stay on 90 westbound. As the sun begun cresting the horizon the music crescendo as if it was composed for that specific moment I was in. I found myself crying softly about how truly wonderful God has been to me.

As beautiful as the sunrise was for me the daylight revealed how lifeless the area seemed. Dale was sleeping well by then, so I tried to keep myself awake by looking at the vast countryside. I know this may sound surprising to most of you, but I wouldn’t see another vehicle for miles. It was becoming a challenge for me to find beauty in what I was looking at.

No grand architecture, no designed landscape of flowing colors. Most of the scenery was straw color grass covered flat ground, with the occasional hill spotted with a herd of cattle. And to be honest, I was beginning to be disappointed. I wanted to see something beautiful with my very own eyes, not a picture of someone else’s moment.

Correcting my mindset, I started to really look at the landscape that unfolded as I drove. And you know what? I saw beauty. I noticed that the dried patches of weeds had a brick red tone that popped up in different areas. I ‘saw’ the wind as it moved across the wheat fields. Colors of yellow and green grabbed my attention as I looked at tons of sunflowers tucked under a hill as I drove around it. I was truly taken back, oh my goodness Lord! Then flat land opened to some rolling hills and all I could think of was “hills of joy” [Psalm 65:12 The fields of the desert are filled with water. And the hills dress themselves with joy].

Then all the sudden I was taken by surprise, to the point of overflowing tears. As I crested a hill my eyes witnessed pure beauty. Driving down into the valley, the sun rising higher behind me I was in awe! The pavement led me over a bridge with water sparkling on each side. High above I saw a bald eagle glide down toward the river. Oh, my goodness to witness that moment it was as if everything was in perfect timing, just for me.   

In that moment Father God dropped something in my heart: “Georgia, don’t look at your life for only those “grand” moments, see the beauty I see in every minute of your life. Enjoy those times that seem “dull” there is still beauty if you truly look for it. Then when you least expect you will experience exhilarating moments that will fill your heart to the point of overflowing joy. I have this for you when you least expect it.”

If you are like me; you may say you are content with your life, but you’ve been waiting for that Kairos moment to open for a long time. The dull everyday wears you down, knowing in your heart you have been created for something big is beginning to seem like a ‘pipe dream.’ Hoping “it” will happen, so you can say in your heart; “this” is the reason I am alive!

We need to learn to enjoy our lives, take time to be in the moment, see the beauty – it is all a gift for us. When we stop looking at our lives as ‘dull’ then we will begin to see the beauty of it. We will see the beautiful people that are in our lives. We will take in those the moments of beauty and realize, it is for us individually [not social media]. Those moments are orchestrated for our eyes by our Papa God.

Let us all slow down – see the beauty – hear HIS heart toward us – and believe something spectacular is just over the hill.