One of the longest and uneventful drives for me is leaving the State of Florida. Driving from Miami, Fl. to visit family in Georgia, takes us about eight hours to clear the state. What makes this drive so tedious is the expansive flatness and the sameness of scenery. For almost 500 miles, all you see is a flat road, which for the most part, is surrounded by an endless row of trees on both sides. Surprisingly, what makes this drive boring is what the road builders sought to accomplish.
According to Andrew Koeser, an assistant professor of environmental horticulture with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “Trees not only beautify highways, but they can also calm motorists down.” He also adds, “The trees enhance the experience of both tourists and residents as they drive to their destinations,” Koeser said. “Additionally, there is research that shows folks who drive along tree-lined roadways have less stress compared to those navigating the concrete jungle without that green breakup.”
For this reason, the Florida Department of Transportation, or FDOT for short, transplants many kinds of trees along the state’s highways, including palms, crape myrtles, buttonwoods, and many other varieties. This replanting strategy attempts to calm drivers traveling the long, extended roads on their way in and out of the state. What’s more, there’s wildlife teaming behind these tree-lined roads, which most of us never see because we’re too busy trying to get to our destination in a hurry.
This discovery reminds me of how many times we feel the destination is more important than the journey. Perhaps “boring” moments are intended to add relief and opportunity for discovery as we’re always in a rush to accomplish something or get somewhere. However, in reality, we should take the time to ponder and stop to see more on our journey.
Daily Directive:
Answer and Journal the Following
Read:
Read and meditate on Judges 18:5-6.
Pray:
Pray and see if you can spot the benefits of slowing down. What is God trying to show you?
Meditate / Make It Real:
Determine how you will take the time to enjoy the “boring” moments in your life. How will you make the most of them?
Share / Show:
Share and show what you’ve learned with someone else.