It felt like too many weeks of rain for sunny California. It made me
think of the song lyrics, “It never rains in Sothern California.”
However, if you listen carefully you’ll hear, “It never rains in Southern
California. It pours.” And it did indeed. Spring had finally
fought its way through the unusually wet winter, and finally it was one of
those beautiful Southern California days that everyone talks about. Warm
sunshine, beautiful clear blue sky, and a gentle breeze made for a perfect
day. Due to all the rain, the Golden Poppy, also known as the California
State Flower, decided to put on quite a show.
I decided I needed to shoot a picture or two of what the local news was
calling the “Super Bloom”. Seriously, who doesn’t appreciate a
good poppy pic? I hopped in the car, and off I went down the 405 Freeway
to Interstate 15-South to get in line with the other few thousand or so poppy
chasers.
The freeway was a mess, and the traffic was backed up for miles. A
drive that should have taken an hour and a half took three hours.
The orange hillsides could be seen from many miles north which I believe served
as encouragement to complete the mission despite the horrific traffic.
The view from the freeway was spectacular, so it was easy to understand
why a person would want to get up close and personal with the happy little
orange flowers. However, the urge to give up and turn around got stronger
and stronger as there seemed to be no end to the brake lights ahead.
When I reached “the spot” where the freeway exit met the frontage road, the
poppies were within walking distance, and the congestion was unbelievable.
People were walking, biking and motoring via most every form imaginable.
Traffic was being diverted, and the freeway exist was as backed up as the
frontage street alongside it. The parking lot nearby was full and
overflowing with people and cars, and a fleet of shuttle buses moving at a
snail’s pace attempted to cut down the grid lock by shuttling poppy peekers to
the fields.
I realized at this point a personal poppy selfie would take hours more of
sitting in crawling traffic. It was decision time. I decided I’d gotten a
close enough look from the freeway. My apparent need to skip among the
poppies as Dorothy had done had kind of lost its charm, (think Wizard of Oz),
and my growling stomach couldn’t agree more.
The decision to take an alternate route ended up being the best decision of
the day. It’s funny how that happens sometimes. There’s a highway called
the Ortega Highway that climbs over the Santa Ana mountains connecting the two
main North/South freeways of Sothern California. It’s a 32-mile drive,
west of Lake Elsinore. It runs up and over the mountain dropping you off
in Rancho Mission Viejo. It’s a steep, scenic, two-lane highway that
connects Riverside and Orange counties within the Cleveland National Forest.
The view from the top was breathtaking and completely different from the view
at the bottom. The fields went much deeper than just the foothills visible from
the freeway. I could see acre after acre of the orange hillsides, most of which
could not be seen from the freeway below. I felt as if I had
found a hidden treasure. I knew the top would have a spectacular
view, but what I hadn’t anticipated was such a different poppy perspective.
As I reflect on that day this thought comes to mind. Sometimes we get
so focused on getting the selfie we miss the wide-angle view. We set our
goals, and we work very hard to accomplish them. In fact, we often get so
committed to our goal we somehow lose or ability to see the big picture.
I was reminded our lives are dynamic and change is ok. I’m not always
the best at changing my direction. I have to remember it’s great to have
goals and dedication, but we also must be flexible and willing to change
direction when God chooses to redirect us. Only He knows the path that
lies ahead. Only He sees how putting us on one path and then another
helps us grow and develop. Only He sees the big picture.
Jeremiah
29:11 says “I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
There have been so many times my life has taken a direction that I had not
planned. Sometimes it’s not the destination that’s important but the
lessons we learn on the journey. And by the way, not only did I see
something most of the others did not, the drive home was traffic free.
Proverbs
19:21 : Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the
purpose of the Lord that will stand.
Wishing you joy and peace,
Lorrie