Wednesday, September 19, 2007

This weekend was—um—interesting. Whenever my biggest little brother says that, it usually means that things blew up. Heh; we usually cringe and look for the fire extinguisher when he says something was “interesting”.

But yeah, this weekend was interesting. I had sufficient warnings beforehand about not freezing to death or being eaten by a bear, but it turned out that neither was likely to happen because we stayed at a campground (first time I’ve ever done that) in a tiny cabin (which barely fit all seven of us in it). I spent the first day attempting to revive from all that has happened in the last week and from school.

We started out the trip Friday afternoon after Lydia and I were done with school, which was about 3 in the afternoon. Lydia and I headed over to Dad’s office, which is about five minutes from school, and then waited with him for Mom and the rest of the gang and our stuff to arrive. We subsequently piled into the van and headed off to Buena Vista (which means “Beautiful View”), which took about two hours to reach. Lydia drove part of the way...I’m not saying anything bad about her driving, though, as she has to put up with mine at least five days a week. :P

Once we had arrived at the campground, we set out to unpack everything and set up our beds for the evening. That accomplished, most of us went for a little hike on the campground. We climbed some impressive boulders, and I went off to sit by myself and admire the beauty of the valley, the fascinatingly white mountains (the Collegiate Range—specifically Mt. Princeton), and the soft sunset.

Wait, I forgot supper! Ahem...let all who travel along Hwy. 24 to or from Buena Vista stop in Hartsel at Dorothy’s restaurant; she has the most incredible tamales. They are fantastic! I’d never had them before, but I’m pretty sure I don’t want to try anyone else’s. So yes, I’ve done my duty and promoted her tamales; back to the rest of the weekend.

The next day, Saturday, I slept in. Lydia did too. While we were taking showers, the rest of the gang went into Buena Vista (the campground was located a bit outside) to get breakfast. When they returned, we were showered and ready to go, so we all headed up into the mountains.

Dad drove most of the way, but (oh horror of horrors!) Esther also did a little bit on the way up the pass. *screech* Let me back up a little and let me give you a brief history of Esther’s driving:
Driving our little S-10 around the back of the property and a little bit on the road between our two driveways
...
That is all...
Needless to say, it scared most of the females in our car. That’s putting it lightly.

Dad was a little frustrated that we didn’t enjoy getting out, walking around, and driving around on the mountain. But I did get the sleep I needed; some of it I got while sitting on the porch of the campground office in a rocking chair, looking at the mountains and the green fields in the distance and writing; some of it I got by getting to bed at an early hour and getting up later than usual. It was really good, because I was feeling depressed, and school was not helping

God said so much to me during that time! For example (and I won’t share everything...):
Psalm 107:1-9
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.
Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them in their distress.
He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for me,
for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Psalm 125:1-2
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

Psalm 127:1
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

He’s Crazy about You
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He’ll listen.
He can live anywhere in the universe, but He chose your heart.
What about the Christmas gift He sent you in Bethlehem; not to mention that Friday at Calvary.
Face it, He’s crazy about you.
~Max Lucado, from “A Gentle Thunder”

I don’t care much for Max Lucado, but the verse above really tugged at my heart...

“...safety, as the Cross shows, does not exclude suffering...trust in those strong arms means that even our suffering is under control. We are not doomed to meaninglessness. A loving Purpose is behind it all, a great tenderness even in the fierceness.” ~Elisabeth Elliot, “The Path of Loneliness,” p. 21

Job 32:8-9
But it is the Spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.
It is not only the old [or many, or great] who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.

Psalm 124:8
Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 126:3, 5-6
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

“We may be earnestly desiring to be obedient and holy. But we may be missing the fact that is here, where we happen to be at this moment and not in another place or another time, that we may learn to love Him—here where it seems He is not at work, where His will seems obscure or frightening, where He is not doing what we expected Him to do, where He is most absent. Here and nowhere else is the appointed place. If faith does not go to work here, it will not go to work at all.” ~Elisabeth Elliot, “The Path of Loneliness,” p. 27

I will trust His rich promises of grace.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you had a nice weekend. I hope you start feeling better.

And soon!

Love ya!

Allegra said...

Thank you, dear! I'll try... See you next Tuesday!!!

Anonymous said...

I love Psalm 107! Gad bless you.

Anonymous said...

Our visit went by tooo fast. :(

It was so good to see you again though!!