Take Me Back

We found ourselves in the South without our oldest girl. She couldn't miss two weeks of school and was thrilled to stay with cousins and keep her regular routine. We hit the road with "our" three year-old spunky girl instead. Glorious, perfect weather everyday, bird-watching adventures, a great little zoo found unexpectedly by Oliver and me, visiting Hobby Lobby (we don't have those!), bonding as a family and attending a new church--just a bit of the good stuff on this blessed trip.

As we neared the final three hours of our 24 hour drive, my husband called out to his travel-worn family, "Okay, who wants to turn around now and do it all over again?" The kids answered that it was an amazing vacation but they were ready for home now. They'd begun to mentally prepare themselves along the way, imagining routine and things they love about Canada and home. We'd been gone for two weeks. 

But I simply blurted, "Take me back! I'll turn around right this instant!" Can you blame me?  :)

As The Deer

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God." (Psalm 42:1)  There was nowhere more fitting for that realization than our vacation high in the Laurentian mountains. Clouds hung low like smoke spiraling up from rich-green mountain forests. An early morning chill made me shiver as I read the Word, sipped my earl grey and gazed at this new scenery. We hadn't ever stayed at such an elevation and it brought me to worship over and over throughout the week. A regal buck or a gentle doe might be spotted grazing near our walking path or on the way to the pool--us, immersed in creation like we'd never experienced before. And that sweet, thin, little one who visited a couple of times... my soul giving praise for her beauty and the gift I was given to be so close. 

Gratitude In The Search

When you're in another geographical zone, you don't have to look very far to see the extraordinary. At every turn there's beauty, wonder and much scope for the imagination. I photographed my children's curiosity and also, my own spectacular sights but now that we're home, I'm in search of that which would make a Floridian stand in awe over our sweet spot in Canada. After much loving of God's creation in that warm, tropical place we pulled into our snow-laden, icy driveway. His handiwork is here too and for that, I'm grateful, but for now, a journey through vacation nature photos :)

 

Gratitude:

1563. how they searched for salamanders after every swim

1564. spotting the alligator that lives at our vacation place

1565. spotting birds we don't have at home

 

1566. how they worked together to find tiny creatures

1567. some birds similar to home but they're singing here (come, Spring, come!)

 

1568. how I can get really close to some of them

 

1569. how the Great Blue Heron is predictably at our pond

 

1570. how Terry spotted the turtle (my favourite)

1571. warm sunset on a mockingbird

 

1572. spotting a shrike, which I've never seen, only heard about

 

1573. how a female can be more beautiful than the male bird

1574. spotting this guy over and over (not as frequent at home)

 

1575. evening light on my search team

 

1576. how she almost had him in her hand :)

 

1577. evening light behind a heron's wings

 

1578. how this anhinga nestled into the flowers

 

1579. palm warbler's sweet sounds

 

1580. how I have to go back and look up some of these ducks

1581. how these little ones scuttle along the beach

Breakfast With A View

 

We'll never get used it--spotting dolphin fins slipping in and out of the rippling sea. We nibble quietly on breakfasts we don't normally have at home (like bacon) and then the first person to catch sight of the lovely creatures breaks the silence, jumps up and alerts the rest of us.

 

  

Right then and there, between the plate of bacon and the orange juice, I'm a teary mess as the wonder of our awesome God overwhelms me again.

Not Mine To Rescue

I always loved the story of the little girl on the beach who tossed stranded sea stars back into the ocean. A passerby asked her why she took the time to do such a thing when there were so many of them that she couldn't possibly make a difference. Without hesitation, she picked up another struggling creature and threw it into the sea and replied,

 

"It made a difference to that one!"

 

 

Last week on our vacation, we encountered countless sea stars lying all over the beach where we were staying. We surveyed our surroundings to see if the rising tide would eventually pull them back into the ocean and it didn't appear that it would. Apparently, that area was known for beached sea stars. Our family got busy rescuing one after the other and tossing them as far as we could back into their home. When we realized we could not rescue them all, Molly ran along the beach drawing hearts around them in the sand as a symbol that at least we cared. It was sad and beautiful at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we strolled barefoot over the grainy path to our hotel, I thought about the women I've met over the years whose hearts have been abandoned and broken. Many had felt they had reached the end of their ropes and my soul ached with theirs. I have cried out to God again and again for answers to help, comfort and share His peace with them and most often, He's moved in miraculous ways. However, sometimes, He's whispered that a particular one is not mine to rescue. And so, I draw a heart around her with a hug and prayer. I remind myself that even though I can't heal her, He never lets her go. Her healing will come as she seeks Him on her knees and possibly, through someone else. I'm so thankful for the body of Christ that works together to toss lovely, broken people back to the feet of the Great Physician.

Gratitude:

1555. for the best vacation yet!

1556. how He loves us enough to rescue us when no one else is able

1557. how we saw copious amounts of sea stars

1558. how we watched dolphins every morning frolicking in the waves

1559. the way we always become just a little closer when we're forced to be in a tiny space for a long period of time together

1560. for white powdery sand that's cool to the touch

1561. how she found the first palm tree (our yearly contest as we drive) and later showed us she had written a reminder on her hand :)

 

 

1562. for His protection and provision as we drove the 24 hour trip! 

 

Ice-Fishing, Anyone?

We heard the snowmobile round the corner of our ice-fishing hut and as it slowed, some quiet profanity was uttered into the crisp air. The three of us silently giggled inside. The man and his son who ran this place out in Haliburton had just discovered our catch and were obviously shocked. The truth was, so were we.

 

Hilary, the ever-loving adventurer of the family, had convinced us, out of the blue, to go ice-fishing for the weekend. Us, who were girly, us, who were moms of babes and one of us pregnant. Yes, us. We never had so much fun in our lives and I'll never forget how those men skidoo'ed us out to the middle of the lake with homemade sticks with string attached and basically bid us good luck. We spent a couple of hours of taking photos of each other on the ice (tripod included), eating and drinking, and imagining actual fish tugging on our lines through the small, rectangular-cut hole below our makeshift wooden benches. We told stories, like all good fishermen and laughed until we almost... well, the only thing that sisters can make you do when you laugh really hard--a lot.

 

We were suddenly surprised to feel a few tugs and when that big fish (humongous to us) shot past the hole in the ice, I straddled the opening and plunged my arms into the icy water and grabbed it with my bare hands. I lifted the slimy, cold body out of the lake and started screaming. Then Holly did too. Nothing could match our satisfaction. We dashed outside the hut and quickly took photos of ourselves. What a victory! What a success! Then we placed it on the ice at the corner of the hut and admired. I remember suddenly feeling sorry for it and wondering if we should drop it back into it's watery home. My sisters wouldn't have it. That was coming home with us for dinner!

 

The long drive home gave us much time to record all of the hysterical moments we encountered that weekend: a little jaunt in a bookstore, reading to each other in the hotel room. We listed new "isms" we had created and sayings only the three of us would ever understand. We lost those notes years ago but the memories and closeness that developed was stronger than ever. Our bond is tight and I praise God for my fabulous sisters. Ice-fishing, anyone? I'm up for it again :)