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"Beloved, the greatest adventure
is knowing Me superabundantly,
discovering how wide and long and high and deep
is My Love for you."
(from the devotional Dear Jesus by Sarah Young)
The road that takes us on this greatest adventure of all, is an unpredictable road. It has led me to some mountaintop views, and also into some dark valleys.
It has led me through watching a daughter go through leukemia and a bone marrow transplant, another daughter experiencing a very close call with appendicitis, through years of fractured relationships during some difficult teen-age years, through the pain of almost losing my husband in a horrible accident, through many more valleys including some present-day trials that we are experiencing now.
In the midst of going through these dark valleys, I continually learn (over and over again) of what is most important ~
"Instead of striving for a predictable, safe lifestyle,
seek to know Me in greater depth and breadth.
I want to make your life a glorious adventure ... "
(Dear Jesus)
In our neediness and in our weaknesses, we have no where else to go, but to Him. And He is the One that we long for. And walking in His Love is the best place to be. It's not about the pathway, but it's about Who we walk with that makes all the difference.
This road of adventure also takes us to glorious mountaintop views. More breath-taking views than I can even count. Forty years of marriage to the one I love, giving birth to six beautiful children, the gifts of nine sweet grandchildren (+ one more on the way, and a few waiting for us in heaven), the joy of being in ministry to high school students together with my husband, and all the daily gifts that God opens up for us.
Even unexpected gifts that we can hardly contain. One recent unbelievable gift was the incredible opportunity to travel to Italy for our 40th Anniversary in September. Totally unexpected, as we had prayed and planned for a special trip to celebrate our 40th, thinking that we would go to Quebec City, a city with a European flavor. Instead, five weeks before our trip, God switched our plans - and we flew to Europe instead - to the beautiful land of Italy! It was the most amazing 17 days we could have ever dreamed of. (You can read all about it and see photos of our beautiful trip - click on the links on the sidebar here on my blog.)
Just as we experience His arms of love and comfort around us as we walk through the valleys, and we see through the mist that He is leading us on a good path, so also we have the joy of walking on the mountaintops. And all are just a glimpse of what is yet to come - walking with and experiencing His Love, forever with Him.
Linking up at Faith Barista, Beholding Glory, and Imperfect Prose
Linking up at Faith Barista, Beholding Glory, and Imperfect Prose
Awesome you could go to Italy, but I still recommend Quebec City if you haven't been. I lived there once for a year and it is the most romantic city I know of (since I have not been to Europe this may not mean much).
ReplyDeleteThanks for your writing. It was a pleasure to read it.
This life sure is a great adventure! It still amazes me to think of all your family has been through and Paul being beated and shipwrecked and in prison for his faith as "momentary and light affliction". Helps me put hard things into perspective though. Thank you for sharing and for linking up Cherry!!
ReplyDeleteSo true that life is an adventure of faith. Thank you for sharing yours! Now I'm going to look at your pics of Italy.
ReplyDeletethis is something close to my heart, I always wanted to have an exciting life, and really the most exciting thing is meeting Him.
ReplyDeleteOh, what I read here is in the midst of the brokenness and sorrow is a life lived WELL! Thank you for sharing your gifts with us! Happy 40 years and congrats on the Italy trip!
ReplyDeletedearest cherry... this gave me such hope. sometimes it's so hard to see the mountain for the valley. but looking back, there they were the whole time, a whole range of them, on the horizon. and you capture it here so perfectly. how God has blessed you. love e.
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