TGIF
When I opened the cabin door the stress just evaporated.
We’d arrived late but, praise God, we had arrived indeed.
The scent of pine floors and warm fir needles enveloped me like a grandmothers arms and I knew I was home.
I needed this…I needed peace and restoration and time away from “real life” to hear the voice of God.
I needed the silence of nature, which in reality isn’t silent at all.
The creation does more than groan…it sings and claps and dances and all of it is praise to the God I know, but with whom my relationship suffers due to lack of attention on my part.
I was going to fix that.
I was going to listen and sing with the waters, the birds, the trees, and the breezes.
There was another voice accompanying me however…
“I’m hungry”.
“I want to go swimming…now”.
“When does the ice cream stand close?”
“What kind of rock is this?”
“How deep is it here?”
“What if I fall in?”
“Have you ever seen a bear here?”
“Can I make a fire now?”
And on and on without ceasing…
All the praise songs of nature drowned out by the constant inquisition of an eleven year old.
Finally, in frustration, I muttered to God under my breath, “I just wanted to hear from you and hear what I’m supposed to be doing!”
He said…”You have….I just asked you if I could start a fire now”.
Make your own application…
Oh, Michael…out of the mouth of babes…God’s voice…
Michael,
Love it!
I knew this week’s TGIF was going to be good. One of the best yet. Thank you.
Thanks, all.
I hiked my legs off, so I’ll be crashing like a rock soon. 🙂
Very good. Amen and very very true….. Shades of The Shack, eh?
One of my very favorite women’s devotions is by Gigi Graham about how in ministering to children in the daily mundane (such as doing laundry, scrubbing bathtubs, and starting fires). She asks the Lord about ‘ministering’ in bathtub scrubbing “Even this?”, Jesus answers “Even this. Who else is going to do it for Me?”
Hope your time in the beauty of the woods was refreshing anyhow.
love you!
What a beautiful place you’re at. I had our grandson on my knees and we watched his favorite video five times! It’s about unconditional love and having the goal of wanting to please your owner/master all of the time. Lots of truth from the movies this comes from. Enjoy your time Michael!!
Love you to, Paigemom.
E, we’re home already… I only had one night and today…but I’m grateful to have had that.
start a fire
Ahh the great outdoors! I was watching that show “Naked and Afraid” on Discovery and I think I want to try out for that show and test my survival skills as well as get some time in nature with God
“Can I start a fire now?” …ominous.
Gary,
It’s all good.
When we are up on the mountain we always build a camp fire in the fire pit in front of the cabin.
He gets to use a flint like in those survival shows…and it takes him so long I get some time to myself. 🙂
What I mean is if God had a double meaning when He gave you that message. How else could God start a fire? I mean if He asked you and you said yes. Ominous. Maybe I’m making something out of nothing.
Enjoy those starry nights!
A cleaning woman once said, “My mop is the hand of God. I clean to make others more comfortable….people that my God made.”
I’m glad you got some R&R.
So you escaped the rat race, fled to the very edge of civilization, communed with nature its most raw and pristine state, where you were able to share your experience over the … Internet.
Awesome. 🙂
Excellent! A great reminder for me.
PP Vet,
I had to wait until I got home…there is only a spit of wi-fi in one place up there. 🙂
One day would not be enough for me. That would just be a warm-up. I have to leave my devices at home.
Gary,
Trust me, I would love to just stay there.
That is what I consider to be my home…and I spend a lot of time wanting to be home.
That’s another story entirely…
Do you ever camp in a tent or rv? I like tent camping. Most of my camping experience is in tents.
Gary,
We stay in a little cabin.
One of the blessings of getting older is that the people you have taken care of acquire the means to take care of you.
When I was a little boy I cleaned the same cabins with my grandma who worked for the resort…now I get to stay in one every once and a while.
I’m always grateful for those times.
We all have our favorite camping spot.
Mine is Holiday Inn Express.
barf! lol
Is Rickety Bobboly Alex? I’m so disappointed and I’m outta here. I’m tired of being played. What a simp I am.
Gary,
No one on here was trying to play you. Most of us just abide by the anonymity rule, even when almost everyone knows who they are. Sorry, thought you knew.
If anyone is playing someone it is RB all the time.
This all some big experiment for him and we are the lab rats.