The Fair

We love the state fair. Yes, we are one of those families who NEVER miss the fair--the cool crisp weather, the energy, the families out having fun together, the exhibits, the rides (though we seem to be doing less and less of these), and, of course, the food. My apologies to Martha Stewart and to Dr. Oz, but there is just nothing like the fair food! The tempura vegetables, the grilled corn dripping with butter, the ribbon fries, the fried dough, the NC State ice cream... O gracious, I am getting so hungry just contemplating the culinary magic of the fair! It's just another reason why I love the fall. Our oldest daughter came home last weekend for a night just so we could go to the fair together, and believe me, we ate our weight in food as we meandered along through the exhibits and the crowds and the games. Yes, it is noisy and dirty and overcrowded and expensive... but so wonderful!

For some reason, whenever we wander through the fair, the Lord always gives me one of those joy bursts. You know--those moments of startling clarity when you recognize the wonder and joy of love and family and life at that very moment. Like a luminous, multicolored soap bubble, it is brief but beautiful and induces thankfulness at the goodness of God. It's as if we stop for a moment and recognize how precious this moment is, this tiny little blip of time, never to be repeated, never to return, but simply to be enjoyed and savored as fully as we can. I'm not sure why the fair almost always seems to encourage these joy bursts for me: maybe it's the collected memories of years of grilled corn and giant slides and melting ice cream and giant pumpkins and cows, all with our children in tow.

And I realize that, as with all of life, this is not forever. No longer do we have all 5 children with us at the fair. And that makes me so sad. We finally realized that we just have to go when most of us can go--if we wait for everyone, we'll never get there. (Maybe that's a lesson for life in itself--do the best you can, forget perfection, rest in God, and enjoy the moments He gives you.) So this year, there were just 4 of us--but rather than focus on who couldn't go or what we lacked, we just went and had a big old time. We ate and ate and ate and walked and watched and wandered and talked and laughed and enjoyed the beautiful day.

So, nothing profound or probably not even remotely interesting here! (My apologies if I've bored you) But just the simple, good life that we so often take for granted. I've always loved G.K. Chesterton and years ago heard a wonderful quote from a letter he wrote his fiancé: "I do not think there is anyone who takes quite such fierce pleasure in the things themselves as I do. The startling wetness of water excites and intoxicates me: the fieriness of fire, the steeliness of steel, the unutterable muddiness of mud." So true! Mud is just so, well, muddy! Fried dough is so, hmm, fried and chewy and melt in your mouth sweet and tastes, o so good--especially while walking along with your husband and your daughter and your son, enjoying the cows and the giant squash and the fuzzy pink baby pigs.

Guess I'm stuck on gratitude again. But then, don't we all need to get a bit more fixated on thankfulness? So thank You Lord for the fair and for family and for fall and for food and for Four H exhibits and for fried dough (wow, and that's just with the letter "F" at the fair--we could be here all day if I went through the alphabet!).

But seriously, what a world, what a life our Lord has given us. Not perfect... though one day, praise Him, it will be... but pretty spectacular nonetheless. And if this earth and this life, though so marred by sin, can be so beautiful and so satisfying, imagine what heaven will be like. So far beyond anything we can ever any imagine or hope--and right at this minute our Savior is preparing it all for each of His children.

So thank You Lord. Again. And again. Thank You for this day. Thank You for the promise of heaven. Thank You most of all for the blood that flowed and the grace He bestowed. And to You be the glory.