The Road Ahead....: grateful...

making sweet boston creams with Irma

His hand was gently resting on my knee as we wove in out of the morning rush hour traffic. It didn't flinch one bit. There were times I wished he would grip the wheel as we drove along, but embraced his love and appreciated the touch. I stared out the window. Silence was my only companion. Saying goodbye is never an easy thing for me. As we drove away I snuck one more peek scanning the crowd lined up to enter the airport. I saw them walking away into the distance and my heart felt full. He knew my heart felt broken. My darling husband looked over at my tear streaked face and quietly asked if I wanted to go for a coffee. It was a date. I just needed to regroup and clean up the mess of my face before heading in to order. We sat for what felt like hours as I caught up with all the events over the past week. Matt knows when the girls get together my attention is divided. I felt like the week was a dream. It couldn't have been planned better.

serving lunch at Irma's home

It was amazing to show my mom and sister around and most importantly meet those we love so dearly. They tasted and saw the gritty and the beauty of this country. One of our excursions

was hiking the local volcano. My mom is a trooper! She tackled that mountain like a champ. We nearly made it to the top. As we sat on the side of the mountain in awe of the spectacular view, I couldn't help but think of how God looks down on what He created. Sometimes we are called to higher places and to greater challenges to see His work in us. It's never an easy thing, It comes with great strength and determination. We lost our way a few times. But the relief we felt when we saw the tiny blue ribbon markers along the way. It is so easy to lose sight of where we are going when we take our eyes off the path God has before us. There are a lot of distractions around us. Jobs filling the demand to be successful, unhealthy relationships, the need for more stuff, and the list goes on. Our bodies felt tired and sore but it was well worth the joy and adventure. And so it will be with our God.

I came home tonight to a void. I aimlessly roamed around missing my side kick. My sister is one to be admired. She has ministered and taught me so much this week. I am forever grateful for the gift of this week and the love of family.