The Eternal Field

I forgot to make a post about this, but I have a little story to tell!
 It's kind of lame, but I really got something out of it, and I guess that's all that matters since this is my blog. :P

My family owns a house in a little town called Iberia, near Osage Beach at Lake of the Ozarks. This little farmhouse was built by my great grandparents on my mom's side over a hundred years ago. It sits on about three miles of beautiful forests, with many small trails winding through them. As lovely as this picture seems, I grew up loathing "the farm," as we so lovingly call it. Every time my parents would take me down there for the weekend, all we did was work our butts off to make the house and the property nice. There was absolutely nothing lovely about it; there was never time to relax and simply enjoy the seclusion that the farm has to offer. The day my parents gave me a choice as to whether or not I wanted to go for the weekend, my visits ended abruptly.
However, out of all the weekends I've spent at the farm against my will, one day stands out fondly in my memory. I was nine years old, and my dad wanted to take me for a walk around the property. We walked to the very back of the woods, and I remember very clearly walking through a small patch of trees off the grassy trail, and seeing a line of light not far behind them. I followed my dad toward the light, and we came upon a fenceline with a beautiful sight behind it. Southern Missouri has many rolling hills, and that is exactly how I would describe this view. This field stretched for miles, as far as my eyes could see, and behind it were what looked like mountains to a nine year-old. A few small farmhouses dotted the landscape, and a lone tree stood about one-hundred feet in front of us. My young eyes drank in this wonderful, peaceful landscape. I didn't want to leave, but we weren't done with our walk yet.
That picture burned itself into my memory, and every once in a while I thought of it, even though I hadn't been down to the farm for many years. A couple of times during my early teenage years we would stay overnight at the farmhouse on our way to Sedalia for the state fair, but for ten years I didn't venture back into the property.
At the beginning of this year, 2011, I got the idea to go down to the farm for a weekend for a time of meditation and quality quiet-time with God before I left for college. In my mind I pictured myself finding that same field, and sitting down for hours simply reading God's Word. My senior year was a nightmare of stress and anxiety, and I decided a weekend without human contact would be beyond refreshing. This idea stayed in my mind until a few months ago. I had been feeling a strong sense of desire to listen to what God had to say to me, and it finally happened, the weekend before I left for college. I wanted to have a blank slate before I made this weekend-long excursion, so I spent time praying for an open heart and a clear mind throughout the week before.
On Friday, August 12, I drove the distantly familiar two hour drive. I planned to leave the house at 7 am the next morning, and begin the trek to find the beautiful, peaceful field. However, my horrible day began with the abuse of my snooze button. I slept in until 9, and was already feeling a sense of worry that I wouldn't learn anything from this except how to be a lazy college student. I grabbed my bag and headed out into the already sweltering day, and walked the familiar path for a couple of miles until I came to an unfamiliar clearing, where I stood, sore and dripping with sweat with an uncomfortable throb in my head. I surveyed the path that looked like the trails they make for telephone poles, and evaluated my choice to turn left or right. The left was a little more clear than the right, which contained some serious brush, mostly sticker bushes. My memory stirred, whispering that the field was just to my left, but as I looked to my right I saw a tiny line of light at the top of the small hill and my heart skipped a beat. The field was right over the hill! Against my distant memorie's wishes, I began a painful, 30 minute journey up to the top of the hill, battling my way through thorn bushes and what turned out to be a lot of poison ivy. I was almost to the top. Just a couple more feet and I could see what was on the other side... I made it, and groaned with frustration.
Just more trail, and more woods. I turned around to see how far I had come, and knew I had gone the very opposite direction of the field. I descended and made my way to the correct path, on the left side. A few poison ivy plants later I broke through the trees to lay eyes on my field. It hadn't changed in the least. A magnificent blue sky stretched over it, and I thanked God that I had made it in (almost) one piece. I spread my blanket next to the tree and laid down with my Bible, starting in Jeremiah. After a few minutes I was completely passed out. I only slept for about 20 minutes, but when I woke up I realized how bored I was. I tried to concentrate on reading, even trying different chapters, but my attention span was waning and I realized how much I just wanted to be back at home.
Even more frustrated than before, I packed up and made my way back to the farmhouse after only two hours of sitting in the field.
Great story, right? No, not on the surface.
I didn't get much out of my time in the Word. I'm not sure why it happened that way, but I know God intended for me to learn something out of my mini-experience. Deep in my mind I knew where that field was, yet I walked the other way. I had been there before, but I let that glimpse of light lead me in the opposite direction. I realized that this was a picture of God's plan for my life - off of His plan for me is a dead-end. I follow God and I will always be going in the right direction. There are still thorn bushes and poison ivy patches, but when you emerge in the right place, it's all worth it.

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

For we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, he also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified."
-Romans 8:18-21, 26-30