eyes to see
WOW has it ever been a fun and eventful summer!!!We kicked it off in June by purchasing a wake board boat, so that means we have spent most of our free time on the water. Fortunately we have had the best summer, in terms of weather here in the northwest, which has made for some good tan lines as well:). That boat has brought us so many memories with our kids, grandkids and forever friends that if we turned around and sold it today our hearts would be full and it would have been totally worth it!Our summer adventures began in a tree house in the San Juan Islands and we’ll finish it off in New York City, in a couple of weeks. (In case you don’t know, summer is not officially over til September 21 and I hang on to every single moment!) I'd love to share with you some snapshots of the moments we shared in between those two trips.In July, we spent a week hanging out with, worshipping, and wake boarding in Idaho with a bunch of awesome high schoolers…--just a few of my sweet girls
We spent multiple weekends playing on Summit Lake in Olympia…---This is our oldest son David, his lovely wife Samantha and our grandson Brooks.
-- My handsome hubby, aka boat driver:)
We shared a week in August with our kids, grand babes and friends on Loon Lake, in eastern Washington that was so fun!!
---Grandbabe Riley Sue
---Our son Andrew with Brooks
-Our daughter Paige and her hubby Matthew
--Our son Tate wake surfing
--The whole fam with both babes actually looking towards the camera!
And I just got home from 4 days on Orcas Island with my ‘Jesus parents’.
SO. MUCH. FUN with such wonderful people!!!As I think about wrapping up Summer of 2017, I realized that it’s been a season of watching for me….Watching the ferry and birds go by from the top of a tree with the man of my dreams.Watching friends and family work hard figuring out how to master (or survive:) being pulled behind a boat on a board.Watching high schoolers take in what it means to be a follower of Jesus in this crazy world of ours.Watching my beautiful grand babes learn new things and let’s be honest, just look adorable:).Watching my kids spend time vacationing together as adults.And watching two people who have lived and loved in a committed marriage covenant for 50 years!It’s crazy just how much joy watching can bring! And as I reflect on just how pleasurable it’s been for me I can’t help but think about how much my Jesus loves watching me. If it’s true, (and I TOTALLY believe it is), that He is my Father who delights in me, then as I go about my days He is doing the same thing I’ve been doing.Watching.He’s been gazing at me as I learn what it means to rest and find my satisfaction in Him. Delighting in how I have been learning to trust Him and believe Him in my deepest places that I’m safe and loved. I feel like I can almost see the smile on His face. His pleasure with his little one (well, 48 year old little one:), who’s living in this new place of wholeness. Taking note of me, as I'm leaning back in wonder and awe of the life I’ve been given.But this is not how it has always been for me and boy am I grateful that He doesn’t always just sit back and watch. He moves. He invites. He pursues. He comforts. He guides. He protects.He not only watches, but He’s watchful.There’s a big difference between sitting back watching and sitting up and being watchful. There was a time, not so long ago, that my Jesus was much more watchful for me. Alert. Vigilant. Protective as I worked hard to shed off, like a second skin, the lies that held me captive from the life I was created for. He was so faithful to be my watchman, alert to my every move. Surrounding me with people who would encourage me to stay in the process, even when it was hard. Meeting me in my distress and reminding me who I belong to. And speaking words of hope and life over me in the quiet moments.Some who feel differently about my Jesus might say, "How can he be good if he allows bad things to happen, or doesn't make hard things go away.".Obviously there is not a simple answer to this because, He's....well, He's God. He's bigger, He's different than me, He's better. If He wasn't, He wouldn't be worthy of my worship. Having said those things, I don't lose hope, but my hope grows.The picture that comes to mind for me is when caterpillars become butterflies. It’s the time in the cocoon and the hard work of escaping that makes them strong enough to fly. If one were to come along and peel back what appears to be entangling them, removing the struggle so to speak, this would be to their demise. And, not only would they not be equipped to fly, but the time in the cocoon is what makes them beautiful. This process of metamorphosis must run its course fully in order for the butterfly to become what it was created to be…a beautiful flying creature.This is not a perfect illustration, for obvious reasons…I’m not a flying creature, but a human, with need of a Savior. Not just One who is far off and does the work of saving, but One who created me with a need for relationship and then filled that need with Himself and others. Although not perfect, I do think this picture does capture the process that I was in and how good God was to sit right there with me, watchful for me, as I wrestled to become free.If God had not allowed me to wrestle through the process that led to my freedom, would He really be good? Had I not been through this, I wouldn't have the capacity that I do today to sit back and watch. To enjoy the beauty of all the wonderful things I experienced this season. My life before my metamorphosis was more like hyper vigilance than enjoyably observing. I mostly lived alert with fear right there with me at all times. If this process had not taken place for me, I would have been like a caterpillar who'd been ripped from my cocoon, seemingly free but robbed of the enjoyment of flying and creating awe in others as my colorful wings sailed by their vision.Only a good, perfect and loving God could do this. Only the All-powerful, All-loving, All-sufficient, Omniscient, Omnipotent One could watch his child go through the pain of breaking free without stepping in and rescuing from it. But don't be deceived for one second, He was not sitting back watching, He was sitting up watchful for me for me the whole time. Vigilantly keeping guard for the enemy who would have liked to destroy me in it, watchful for my family in the midst of it, making sure that I was safe as I wrestled out of that tangled web of lies that from the inside felt like security, but were in reality strangling me, robbing me of real life.He let me go through the pain of the process so I could see.Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!…This is my story, this is my song,praising my Savior all the day long.