Post-vacation

Coming home from vacation is hard. We’ve been immersed in breathtaking nature, spent time with people we love, eaten amazing food. The weather was perfect all week and it was just so refreshing.

Right up until we left for the airport Saturday morning.

Thank you, Colorado, for that parting gift.

After delays for mechanical problems, a gate change that involved a half-mile walk, and more delays for de-icing, we were finally airborne and made it to Virginia where it was 81 degrees as the sun was setting.

We are home on the farm now, back in the flatlands of Virginia at a whopping 680 feet above sea level. It’s amazing the difference 6,000 feet of altitude makes in your ability to transfer oxygen. When we were walking toward baggage claim in the Norfolk airport, I took a deep breath and said out loud, “Ahh, I can smell the humidity.” I wasn’t sad about it and my nose appreciated a break from the extremely dry air of Colorado Springs.

I came home with a few thoughts rolling around in my brain, and since I am a person who processes things through writing, I thought I would share them here.

Thought #1

On my last hike in the mountains last Friday, I found myself watching my feet so I wouldn’t stumble over roots and rocks. I’m pretty confident this is the smart way to hike.

But as much as I did not want to fall, I knew that keeping my eyes down meant I was missing all the beauty around me, so every now and then I stopped to look around and take a photo. I was reminded of the verses in Psalm 121 quoted by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music,

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

I go through life thinking I’m going to take care of things in my own way, with my own eyes on my own self, and certainly, if you are walking along a cliff, I think you should pay attention to where you are stepping. But isn’t it so easy to keep our eyes on our circumstances and forget to look up? David says in Psalm 5,

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

He knew where to look for help.

He knew that if he looked up, he would see the Lord. Maybe not face to face, but he would see God in what he had made—the mountains and seas and all of nature. It is all a reminder that God is there, waiting for us to look up.

In Luke 21 some men in the temple asked Jesus how they would know the end was near, and after a lengthy description of how things would be, he said,

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

In other words, don’t look at world events or the troubles you see all around you. Look up, look for his return, look for where your redemption will come from.

It is way too easy to get caught up in the troubles of the day, whether we’re talking about war in Israel or a cranky toddler. But in both cases, the Lord is there to help. He may not change the circumstance, but he offers grace and mercy and a hand to hold on to. We just have to look up.

Thought #2

I was driving recently and listening to a podcast. In it, the speaker commented that isn’t it funny how we all think God is like us? In other words, I think he is like me, and Ben thinks he is like him, and you think God is like you. I had to stop the podcast for a minute and consider it, and you know what? I think there is some truth to it.

I tend to see the softer, gentler side of God. I focus on his loving kindness toward us, how he hears us and is our kind shepherd. My view of him is molded by who I am and want to be.

Ben, on the other hand, sees God’s warrior side, his justice and his judgment. I know those sides of God exist, but I major on the sweet side, not what I view as his harsher attributes. I want to see him in a way that is more comfortable for me.

What do you think? Do you see God in a different way than others do? Do you focus on some of his characteristics and not others? I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Thought #3

The highlight of coming home was knowing my daughter and her husband were here with our thirteenth grandchild, who we had not met yet because of all the crazy that has been our lives since he was born. Abel is the answer to a lot of prayers for a long time. He is obviously a great sleeper and we were thrilled to kiss those sweet cheeks.

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Years ago when we were moving away from Tennessee to come to Virginia, we stood in the driveway of our dear friends praying before we left. When we finished, their oldest son (who is now our son-in-law) turned to go in the house and said, “Well, back to our meaningless lives” and we have laughed about that many times.

Sometimes it feels that way after vacation, like we’re back to the mundane routine and it’s such a letdown.

But today I am reminded of God’s precious gifts that come to us in the form of prayed-for grandbabies and majestic mountains and rushing creeks and sunsets from an airplane and humidity when we need it and a good Father who is always there, waiting for us to look up.