If I were to suggest we head off on a long car drive what would your true heart’s response be?  Is it one of excitement or one of dread?  I confess I tend to fall into the second category.  I am not a road trip fan much at all.  I can tend to feel trapped, restricted, unproductive and bored!

I think I am coming to the conclusion that the introduction of technological devices makes this experience much worse. My children would not know what it would be like to not have anything other than a book to read or colour in for long car drives. They have iPods and iPads and dvd’s to amuse themselves to the point that we could drive through amazing terrain and experiences and they would barely even look up, let alone notice. A topic for another day is the relationship between being bored and creativity/imagination.

I have always been blessed to be able to do things that require concentration in a moving vehicle without feeling ill, so in my own preparation to avoid being ‘bored’ on these car excursions I have a habit of taking too many things to keep me engaged.

The downside of this is that it needs to be stored at my feet and so I end up being ridiculously cramped. On our adventures over the years I have hand-sewn quilt blocks, knitted jumpers, worked on cross-stitch projects, written, read, coloured, played Candy Crush, planned and snoozed.

What I have noticed, however, is that I can easily miss the beauty of the countryside around me, especially in the ever-changing landscape that is regional Australia. You can be driving alongside bright green pastures one minute, stretches of flat, dry paddocks with livestock the next and then moments later through lush forests in rolling mountainous terrain. I try to make it a practice now to regularly look up from my activities to observe the world around me and the beauty God has provided for us to enjoy.

There are times in life when I can get so preoccupied with tasks that I forget to take a moment to breathe and appreciate the beauty all around. It is a really easy trap to fall into, especially in this day and age of busy-ness and constant activity.

I do not believe that distracted from surroundings is how God wanted us to navigate through life. A beautiful verse I have just discovered in the Bible says: “are you listening? Have you noticed all this? Stop in your tracks! Take in God’s miracle wonders!” (Job 37:14 The Message)

When I take a moment to engage with the natural world it re-energises me to better face the tasks that lie ahead. Choose with me to take the time to notice your environment and be amazed by what beauty God has provided for us rather than stock up on extra activities to stop being ‘bored’.

Try this on your next driving adventure and be sure to be blessed.