It's 7:45 am and I've been up 2 hours already. Gone down and helped to feed the bunnies, goats, burrow, chickens and calves. I'm sitting in the quiet of our camper listening to my children breathe as they sleep soundly, not wanting to wake them up just yet and break the silence. I hear birds chirping their morning songs and sounds echoing off the mountain and I realize that a week from today, I will be back in Florida.
This has been a wonderful summer. It's been busy and exhausting at times, but I have seen God's hand working in the lives of the people around me. But most importantly, I have experienced Him in my own heart as I have trusted him in new ways and literally lived among his creation. Going to sleep every night with the sound of the creek off in the distance. Seeing the stars shine so brightly that you feel like you are surrounded by them. Walking on the beach at sunset and listening to the waves crashing on the shore. Standing on my balcony, watching the ocean, knowing that somewhere on the other side of the US, someone else is standing on their balcony, with their back to me, watching the ocean. Watching how it just keeps coming, never stopping. Always constant. Always in God's complete control.
I felt so small next to all of the waterfalls. Also constantly coming. Knowing that no one is at the top of it with a switch to turn it off. It just flows and flows and shows the majesty and wonder of God's love for us. He created all this beauty just because He loves us and wanted to give us something to enjoy. Something that points us to Him. How can people see such beauty, such detail, and not believe in an Almighty Creator? How can they think it "just happened"? I literally experienced the verse that talks about how "even the rocks cry out." I stood on the side of the mountain, with only the sound of the water fall and I heard His creation worshiping Him.
We don't know what God has planned for us. We know we are coming home next week and Russ and Jarod will begin school and we will immediately go into our routine. The break has been so nice, and it's a bit overwhelming to think of coming back home. Especially when I look around our little camper and see all the stuff I need to pack! We have a love for Oregon. For the people. For the landscape. It's a strange place. We are in the US, but we might as well be in a foreign country. Many people just don't even really know about Jesus. Not like in the South where most everyone grows up with some kind of knowledge. There's a church on every corner for goodness sake. But, it's not like that here. The ones who are Christians are strong, committed believers and the rest are not. There is a very distinct difference. Part of me longs to stay and bring truth and authenticity and part of me wants to run from the liberal ideas. Especially when it comes to our kids. Many of the young staff members have had such bad home lives and they don't have any kind of a moral compass. It's heart breaking.
I was sharing with a few people last night about our insurance story from a few years back. How God wiped away our $10,000.00 debt and got us into our house. They were hooked until I mentioned God and answered prayer and then they all started looking around and becoming uncomfortable. They can't depute it as it is my story and it's true, but they don't want to talk about God. They don't want to talk about an absolute truth. It's whatever feels right for them at the time.
Maybe God just needed to get us out of our normal surroundings, out of our routine, and away from all of our believing friends and put us in a place where we can see and experience the other side. It's right here in our own country. So often we surround ourselves with believers only because it's comfortable, it's encouraging to us. We try to protect ourselves from the world when we are asked to be in it and to shine. This summer we have been surrounded by non-believers and it has been exhausting. We have been thankful for the little church that God gave us each Sunday where we could go for a few hours, be refreshed and then come back again.
As I sit here this morning watching the sun come up over the mountain, I know that I serve a Mighty God and He has wonderful plans for us. I don't know what those are yet, I don't know when we will see this trip as a stepping stone to the next thing He has for us. But I know it is one. I know He is working and I know it will be great!
Tomorrow is our last Wednesday and we are off to Mt. Hood - in search of snow!!!! They say people are still snow boarding up there........
No comments:
Post a Comment