Tag Archives: Global Positioning System

What’s Down The Road?

To me, there is nothing better than a Saturday drive.

I come from a long line of Saturday afternoon drivers.

Wandering the back roads, looking for the place “not yet found”.

Searching for the perfect picture while making memories.

Last Saturday was glorious. I enjoyed the early spring sunshine (late winter?).

I’m hoping for another good day, tomorrow.

Pictures tell a story of days gone by.

What stories could these houses and barns, on the back roads, tell?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Ace. He greets us when we get back home.

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Always curious. Always wondering. What might be down the road and around the corner?

Take time to enjoy the drive. Look at things in a different way.

You might just be surprised at what you find.

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In The Rearview Mirror

Hernando DeSoto Bridge takes Interstate 40 acr...

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In chapter 8 of One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp says, “God reveals Himself in rearview mirrors. And I’ve an inkling that there are times when we need to drive a long, long distance, before we can look back and see God’s back in the rearview mirror…Maybe sometimes about as far as heaven —that kind of distance.”

Wow. That statement rocked me. Hard.

I’ve thought about this a lot, long before I read Ann’s words. She just reminded me of it.

In my own life, I can look back and see all the ways that God has loved and provided for me. He has shown patience with me, and forgiven me.  During the good days…and also in the days I slogged through the muck.

It’s all His grace.

Looking back…

Both the wise decisions I’ve made and the poor decisions…consequences I suffered.

People I’ve lost…tears I’ve shed. New friendships and relationships.

Drawing close to Him…Him drawing even closer to me.

My life glimmers in the mirror. School, Family, Career, Marriage, Motherhood, Friendships, Homes, Widowhood, Death, Dating, Remarriage, Blended Families, Resigning from teaching, Home School, New House, Moving, Job Loss, New Job…..

The small decisions of the every day, the big decisions that change a life, the happy, the sad, the silly and the profound. All the things that knit together to make my life.

It is when I look in my rearview mirror that I realize God was there.

He’s always been there….. It was me. I was the one driving blind.

I must keep my eyes open to see Him.

I’m continuing on this journey, to thank Him in the daily grind. To live fully…right where I’m at.

# 196 It was only the basement that flooded during this rainy weather. It could have been worse…and it wasn’t.

# 197 My husband who is good at fixing stuff, in the now muddy and soggy basement. He’s trying hard to get this done.

#198 Warm socks on a cold floor.

#199 Conversations with my children.

#200 Letters from the heart.

# 201 Warm quilts

# 202 My favorite wing back chair to read in

#203 An extra spoonful of sour cream

# 204 My son making dinner

# 205 Kindness

It’s all eucharisteo to… Him. It’s all grace to me.

(Click the multitudes on Mondays –One Thousand Gifts graphic on the ride side of my blog…if you want to read what others are saying!)

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Do I Want To Change The Story?

Photo of TomTom Go 500

Image via Wikipedia

I have mentioned that I am reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. After going through the first chapter, and discussing it with the book club, here are some of my insights.

Even if you haven’t read the book, I’m sure you can relate.

(pg. 14) “Does God really love me? If He truly, deeply loves me, why does He withhold that which I believe will fully nourish me? Why do I live in this sense of rejection, of less than, of pain? Does He not want me to be happy?

I admit I have that thought sometimes. On days that I presume that I know so much more than God, I’m sure that my plan will work. If He would only allow me to have my way, everything would work out for me. I would live happily ever after. Doesn’t He love me enough to let me do this on my own? Why can’t He just let me? Doesn’t He want me to be happy?

In my mind I have it figured out, but….in my heart I don’t really feel it. My heart knows that I am not capable of writing my own story. I am the same one who is scared of mice, burns toast, and is directionally challenged. I can’t handle the most basic things of life and I know I am helpless to even try with the harder things. I fail. Without Him, I fail. Every. Single. Time.

And yet, I still want the control. The ability to run my story, my way. I want to stamp my life with, I CAN. I WILL. I KNOW. I DID. I want to be in the driver’s seat of my own destiny. My life map spread out before me. MY voice, the one giving directions through the GPS of my story.

My hubris knows no bounds.

(pg. 15) “Our fall was, has always been, and always will be, that we aren’t satisfied in God and what He gives. We hunger for something more, something other.”

If I’m completely honest with myself. Really honest…isn’t that how I feel? How about you?

The life we live, is hardly the life we planned. We wonder if there isn’t something more in the 24 hours a day? When years turn into decades, do we look back with gratitude? Or grief?Peace or regret?

(pg. 21) As Mrs. Voskamp tells the story of her brother-in-law, a man and his wife that lost two of their young sons to a genetic disease. She struggled with her nephew’s deaths. She told this grieving father, if it were up to her….she would write the story differently. He replied, “Just that maybe…maybe you don’t want to change the story, because you don’t know what a different ending holds.”

It’s true. I don’t know what the ending holds.

God does. He knows.

I could attempt my own story. I could fight. I could scratch and claw my way through life. Constantly grabbing back, what I feel is mine to have. Wishing…screaming….for things to be different.

If I do that, I will miss the things. The small things. The every day things. The things that bring joy. If my eyes are riveted, by pride, to all I do not have, I will completely miss all that I do have. I will miss all the ways that God has said yes to me. There is peace and joy in the every day…if I deliberately take the time to see it. And thank God for it.

 

 

 

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