... and the livin' is easy. So much of my life is beautiful right now.
We've spent a week camping with family and enjoyed lazy days at the beach, hikes, and even natural hot springs in a spectacular riverside setting in the woods, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
I stand outside my door in the quiet and gaze at the river, the hills and mountains. I look up at the spreading Willow and the Russian Olive trees thriving near the river. I watch a trail of ducks paddle by. And I feel a little overwhelmed by the beauty surrounding me. I get to enjoy this every day.
I hear the voice of my grandson "Hey, Oma!" in the morning as I step out of my little home. He joins me on a walk to the garden, looking for any changes. We move the large leaves aside in one of the raised beds and discover a cucumber! And a zucchini! We pull up a garlic bulb to see how big it is. He joyfully runs to hang it up to dry in the garden shed. He is my sidekick in the garden, for sure!
I look at photos and texts on our family texting site and feel grateful that my adult children are all in good places right now. It hasn't always been so.
And I remind myself... never take this for granted. Never EVER take where you are RIGHT NOW for granted.
I feel grateful and I feel sad at the same time.
I feel sad because our world is in such upheaval right now, and I wonder what that will mean for our children and grandchildren.
Can one be happy and sad at the same time? I believe so. I can still choose what to focus on when life gets overwhelming. And for me, that is truth. Living hope. Not wishful thinking.
Our associate pastor spoke on Psalm 23 last Sunday. It really is one of my favorite Psalms.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not WANT. Or, put another way, I have EVERYTHING I need. Or, put another way, I LACK NOTHING.
Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need.
This Psalm was written by David when he was being chased by a king who wanted him DEAD. How could David say words like these in those times? I ponder that a lot. Could it be because he had experienced God's rescue at other times? He had trust in his God. And because of that, he ultimately felt secure, no matter what.
Sometimes when I wake in the night, I recite this psalm, because it gives me comfort and readjusts my focus.
And so, I continue to enjoy life and express gratefulness for all I have been given on this day, at this time, in this place. And I continue to remind myself that my hope is in a God who loves and cares for His creation - this world.
In this world we will have trouble, but take heart, Jesus has overcome the world! The future is bright!
Very handsome grandson, Neta! So glad you get to spend the time you can with him and the rest of your grands and kids. So many blessings you have! It is a good reminder to us that our home is not this earth and we are mere "resident aliens" on it. I think that's why we need to get the gospel into our children/grandchildren at a young age and tell it to others to give them hope. Because this world definitely will not give them that kind of hope that can only be found in Jesus
ReplyDeletebetty
Amen, Betty!
DeleteAll those good moments with the children will help strengthen them for whatever lies ahead. I also think about this a lot and it's one of the things that invades my thoughts in the middle of the night. I often recite Psalm 23, so I am right there with you! God, help us.
ReplyDeleteGood thought, Gretchen! I hope so! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteWhat a great post. I think I struggle daily with the happy and sad of everyday living but I do try to take in the here and now as much as possible and just BE.
ReplyDelete