HOW TO SLOW DOWN

Michigan Roadside Park

Many miles ago, a piece of wisdom was handed me wrapped in wax paper and delivered in a brown bag.

It looked like any ordinary sandwich: two pieces of soft, white bread slathered with mustard, carefully layered with slices of bologna, then cheese, and firmly pressed together for good measure.

But it was an extraordinary gift; nothing has ever fed my soul more.

"Are we there?" I asked when the car slowed, expecting to see the promised motel swimming pool.

"Not yet," Mommy answered, pointing to the sign that read "Michigan Roadside Park."

My sweaty legs stood and stretched while Daddy dragged a table over to a maple tree so Mommy could set up a picnic in its shade.

I slid across the bench, facing the expressway glare. A fresh pine breeze tickled the back of my neck and scattered the napkins across the grass for Daddy to chase down, much to our delight.

Our little family of four dined like kings and queens on bologna and chips, cheering when the red pop came out of the cooler to wash it all down.

Time stood still, if just for a moment.

Station wagons sped by our simple feast. I glimpsed other young faces pressed against a side window, their parents leaning forward to see if happiness lay ahead.

Our destination also called to us, but vacations were rare those days. It hardly seemed like a crime to steal a few more minutes from a season that passed too quickly.

Eventually, we'd all end up exactly where we were meant to be.

More and more, I appreciate the timeless wisdom passed out at roadside parks by generations past and slowly unwrap a bologna sandwich, paying no mind to the cars that whiz by or the watch on my wrist.

There will always be things left to do on your list and hundreds of miles still to travel, but do yourself a favor and pull over once in a while.

Trust God to take you where you need to go.

"Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses."

Ecclesiastes 3:1 GNT