Last night after work, Edster and I (and yes, my stepdog, Bruno) took advantage of a cool, mid-September evening. We strolled around the Brandywine Falls area...part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park about 15 miles away. It is full of sentiment for both of us. Photos will be coming soon...promise!
But it amazes me how something so simple like being quiet and outdoors and slowing down and be so refreshing! I knew rain was coming for the next day or so -- so I wanted to bank on this opportunity.
As I strolled along, I thought about God's mercies...his daily gifts...and added them to my list:
- The comfort of predictability and routine - seeing the leaves start to tire and lose there green-ness, without yet turning into vivid color, knowing that life is as it should be and that some things are always dependable.
- The ability to have the health and stamina to stroll through God's wonder. Four years ago at this time, we were not sure if Ed would be able to keep his leg.
- The subtle orchestra of quieter birds than in the spring, with the backdrop of dancing water.
- The gift of remembering and someone to remember with.
- The comedy of "smellies" that wanted to play with Bruno near the fence...aka chickens. Edster and I call them "smellies" from a line in The War Bride, a great movie on Netflix.
- Quiet. (I have a great article about the Gift of Quiet I must share sometime...)
- The freedom from fear. Between what we see on computer screens or television screens with 24-hour news, there is a lot of fear fueled in our society. It reaches into our homes and grabs us by the throats. But I'm grateful that during these moments fear was gone, and there is no fear in love, so we are free as we trust the One who loves us. We have so much.
Mercies are all around..you just have to look! All is grace ~
