The off ramp

By CHERYL CRUCE

Maybe it is a Southern expression to go “ramblin’” on the back roads. Growing up, we often did just that. Dad would double-check the fishing poles, and Mom would pack a brown paper bag full of sandwiches, various snacks, and sometimes leftover fried chicken. We, the kids, would settle down in the back of Dad’s old pickup as he rambled the backroads of home. Places to fish were plentiful, as are the memories that now linger in the recesses of who I am.
The afternoon rambling spirit of my parents influenced my life more than I realized. Nothing can compare to the beauty of God’s creation when one slows down the pace of life. Recently, I took an afternoon off and drove through the dirt roads of home. On my excursion, I saw two black bears, a family of deer, and a rabbit that crossed the road before me. The wildflowers lining the forest were stunning. The glistening of the river shimmering through the trees as the sunlight fell upon it was breathtaking.
I am often reminded how much I need Psalm 23 for my spirit. Calm waters and green fields reconnect me with my faith in God and my need for His presence. My soul finds peace in the beauty of His creation as He leads me on the path of His righteousness. Yet, life has a way of becoming a fast-paced freeway with a series of on- and off-ramps distracting me from my Creator.
Wisdom teaches us that faster is not always better. We often feel as if the freeway of life is filled with goals that must be accomplished. We busy ourselves with work, house, and church, rushing past valuable exit ramps. We are on the fast-paced freeway of faith and going nowhere spiritually. Exhausted by the daily grind, we miss the essential things along the way. We have neglected moments to enjoy what God has set before us, opportunities to share a kind word, relationships with loved ones, or becoming friends instead of remaining strangers.
Let us remember that we are the ones who stand at the crossroads of life. Every day is an opportunity to begin anew. What choice will we make? Will we stay in the fast lane, zipping past the blessings of God, or will we take the off-ramp into His presence? Our Lord has promised us that if we seek Him, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). With that promise, one would think the choice to be easy. However, knowing God requires us to slow down.
As we slow down our pace, we will begin to understand our Father’s great love for us. His greatest desire is to care for us and not to cause us harm. The Lord has a planned future for His children, full of hope and grace (Jeremiah 29:11). In His presence, our cup will always run over with His blessings of goodness and mercy (Psalm 23).
Let this be the day He has created for us. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. He has given us creation and each other to love. It may be time we grab an old cane pole, sit on a riverbank somewhere, and let our only worry be how to untangle the fishing line. Let today’s moments be spent in the presence of our Lord as we enjoy the off-ramp. He is waiting.
Jeremiah 6:16 - “The Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’”

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.