With only a few empty boxes left on August's page in the calendar, school buses once again taking to the streets, and newly launched young adults off to college, it appears summer is truly almost over. Today, I catch a plane with Joy and Clay to take her to a new part of her life journey in California. My heart will be quite empty but also full with thousands of moments we took time to share.
As I finish off these last few days with Joy, I am garnering memories to visit that gave me pleasure in our years together, walking together the paths of her life. One cherished one was especially designed by God with me, my two princesses in a moment captured in time, together shoulder to shoulder to shoulder, skin to skin........
Several years ago the girls and I were blessed to be able to take a little getaway to Prince Edward Island. We'd had a lovely first day of exploring and a wonderful dinner, and decided to head to the beach to enjoy the last few hours of the day...
"We scrambled up the last few slippery steps of the sandy slope and turned our eyes to the ocean just in time to witness one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen. The sky was awash in a rainbow of rich rose light with swaths of purple and blue running all through it, and the sunlight was turning the edges of the sky gold. The colors of the sun were perfectly mirrored in the water and seemed to sparkle and frolic as the waves playfully licked the shore, seemingly dancing to the spectacular music of creation. It was the sort of sight you dream of, and we three sat shoulder to shoulder in an awed silence, simply soaking in the magnificent beauty.
I wondered in my heart at the way God, the great artist, had chosen to clothe the ending of this day. The vastness of His beauty was so powerfully displayed in the power and grace of His sky. Just looking filled us with awe. It was mind-boggling to realize that God was so full of beauty, so brimful of life and goodness, that He would faithfully paint this quiet northern sky for His own good pleasure, whether or not anyone admired the work of His hands.
As I sat and wondered, a verse I had read just the other day came to mind: "The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shown forth." Psalm 50:1-2 ~ from The Mom Walk
God is still full of beauty, and He is still painting beautiful skies! Can I encourage you to take some time in these last few days of summer to hunt down some of His beauty for yourself? Only don't do it alone--today is the day to collect the treasure chest of memories made in the normal moments of life that you will visit long after your precious ones are gone. Enjoy it together and point out the wonder of our Creator, who loves to draw us close and display His glory for all to see.