...well, actually, we are now all back in the good old "North State," so greetings from Raleigh! This was us in Curacao the night before last. I could not get the internet to work in Curacao for love nor money (as my mom used to say), so I'm just going to imagine that I'm writing this with the backdrop of the sound of the ocean breezes and the smell of the salt air. Goodness gracious, it was wonderful. I think I could be a much nicer person if I could enjoy weather and beauty like that all the time. Well, either that or be able to eat unlimited chocolate.
This is one of my favorite pictures from the beach with all of the Jones children and our crew (except Mary Norris who was engrossed in a book). The bathing beauty being held aloft is Peter with a pina colada (nonalcoholic, just in case you're wondering). This was just one of many moments that I wanted to freeze and sear in my memory--
Here's one of the girls as we waited in the Gazebo for our nightly dessert: some variation of cake (most of us went for God's crowning culinary achievement--chocolate, of course--but there were some cheesecake and tiramisu hold outs as well), but this must always be accompanied by multiple scoops of cocoanut ice cream. As Lisa Jones told the waiter our last night: "Just bring us the whole tub and we'll let you know when we've had enough." Tessa is on the far left. To think where we were 7 months ago. Lord, You are a God of miracles.
The dads reading and chatting in the shade. I think they could be a on a "Life is Good" tee shirt.
One more-- a few good men... and lookin' good to boot!
I apologize for so many pictures, but, boy, it's fun to relive these moments. We never do much of anything for spring break, so this was such a fun privilege to go as a kind of celebration to the Lord for helping and healing our girls.
There were so many occasions during the trip that I thought, Lord, how could we have ever begun to dream 7 months ago where we would be today. Sitting in that ICU room with Janie, (and the Joneses with Tessa) so much fear, so much sorrow... and yet so much certainty that God was right there with us in that room. We knew He was with us and for us, even then, especially then, and knew He was sustaining us and carrying us as His people prayed. O thank You, Lord, for their prayers!
But to think God has brought us so far--to this place, to Curacao, to healing, to hope, and now to home. There were so many moments when we'd be just walking or sitting or reading or watching the kids or eating ice cream or simply feeling the breezes when it would just hit you: this moment, this moment right now is so precious, so beautiful. How I wanted to hold onto each of those moments forever.
Of course, we cannot hold onto them... but we can hold onto the God of those moments.
And we can live those moments fully by truly seeing them as gifts from the Father--each little moment a tiny wrapped package from our extravagantly generous Father. It's so easy to just let them slip by-- unnoticed because they are unannounced. No one shouting:" This is it! This is life! This is overflowing with the goodness and glory of God! Do you see? Do you feel it? Don't miss it!"
But we so often do. In our hurry and worry and focus on tomorrow and the next thing to be done or seen, we miss the precious present. The small, seemingly insignificant but astoundingly beautiful moments to be treasured with those we love, with life, with creation.
The smell of salt air. The taste of creamy ice cream. The sound of your loved one's laughter. The joy of watching your child reading a book or running to the water. The savoring of friendship. The peaceful beauty of a setting sun. The symphony of birds in the early morning. The feel of steamy hot water in the shower. The knowledge of God's presence... the honor, the privilege, the joy of His presence in every single one of those "small" but ultimately huge moments.
And we wouldn't be able to appreciate how grand, how glorious these moments truly are if we did not also experience those moments in the valley. None of us has a "Get out of pain free" card in life. None of us. And that, too, ultimately is a gift. For without those valleys, we could not comprehend the glory of the mountain. And without those valleys, we could not know our Lord as deeply and dearly. And without those valleys, we could not experience the settled joy of walking with our Good Shepherd through the "valley of the shadow of death" and seeing He will get us through to the other side to the green pastures and clear streams.
So, I guess this is just a huge thank You to God. Really, can we ever begin to say thank You enough? Of course not! But why don't we try--just for a moment. For this moment. Each irreplaceable moment of the precious present. After all, that is the only moment God gives us--this moment right now. And He is "I Am" eternally present and powerful with us in this present moment. Might we rejoice in Him--whether we are walking through the valley or whether we are enjoying green pasture. For He is always enough. To God be the glory.
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