Rain pounded the metal room of our pop-up tent as we relaxed inside to the comforting sound while we read. It’s that forced moment of rest that we all long for but fail to create in our busy schedules. (Click to Tweet)

After the summer monsoon passed, the pungent aroma of pine trees permeated the air. We stepped outside to a carpet of wet grass and wild brilliant daisies bursting forth from the soft ground. White clouds drifted across the blue skies as the setting sun peeked through the tops of the pines.

Campers emerged from their temporary homes, checking awnings and wind-whipped tablecloths. A sense of community developed as neighbors reached out to make sure those in surrounding sites had fared well through the storm.

The comradery among otherwise strangers is one of the things I like about camping. (Tweet)

This friendliness drew us to share our neighbor’s campfire one evening for a special sing-along. While swirls of smoke curled through dusky evening skies, our voices raised in a chorus of praise to Jesus with people whose faces we’d never seen before and were partially clouded by that wonderfully scented smoke that arises from the burning logs. The evening was like a trip down memory lane as we sang hymns from the early days in our Christian walk when we were members of a special community in California. “Sing Alleluia to the Lord,” wafted on the brisk evening breeze along with “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God,” and “They will Know We are Christians by Our Love.”

“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…” 1John 1:7a NIV (Click to Tweet)

We walked back to our fabric home with warm hearts and toasty toes to tuck into our sleeping bags. Amazement at God’s orchestration of drawing hearts together filled our thoughts as we drifted off to sleep.

Short hikes through the woods and quiet afternoons only interrupted by bushy white-tailed squirrels and darting blue jays filled our days. Listening to the quiet was like hearing the rhythm of a classical sonata. Moments spread beneath the tall slender pines created wonder and praise for our Creator who crafted such beauty for us to enjoy.

These days spent breathing in refreshment and rest were capped by times shared with our friends from church who invited us to once again join them on this mountain-top campground. Shared dinners, laughter that multiplied with whimsical family stories, games of frisbee horseshoes, and an evening movie strengthened our bond of friendship and Christian love. Even forgetting at home the meal we were one evening was greeted with understanding and an abundance of food from our friends with supplements from a quick trip into town.

Blessings abounded on the mountaintop. Now we have rich memories to color our every-day moments of life back down in the valley.

“O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you…The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.” Psalm 89: 8, 11 NIV

Where have you seen the Lord’s glory this week?

From My Heart To Yours,

 

Linking with Sunday Stillness, Monday Musings, Playdates with God, Tell Me A Story, Soli Deo Gloria, Winsome Wednesday, Word-Filled Wednesday, The Beauty in His Grip, The Friday Five