Treetop Experience
Does anyone else feel like summer is like stepping onto a moving treadmill? I feel like in spring, we talk about our summer plans and then before you know it, we’re immersed in the busiest schedule of the year! It has been an eventful summer for us because of Mike’s 50th birthday in June, youth camp in July and family vacation in August (which we are looking forward to as well:). Our schedule has felt a little crazy so far, but it’s been a good kind of hectic. The kind that involves the rhythms of life that God intended for us. Celebration, service, recreation, meaningful conversations, lots of laughter and rest.But as I look back there are some things that I have taken note of that have been monumentally different for me. Subtleties that no one else would pick up on, but for me are markably changed.Before I go into that though, I’ve got to tell you about our getaway in June for Mike’s birthday. So, our oldest son, David has been holding onto this gift idea for his dad for 5 years. FIVE YEARS!!! That in itself is incredible to me. When I have a gift idea I can barely keep it to myself for 5 minutes. I just can’t handle the excitement of it, so for me to think that he has held onto this one for that long is impressive, to say the least, but the gift itself was incredible! He enlisted his siblings to go in on 2 nights in a treehouse on Lopez Island. Did you catch that? A treehouse!!!! We’ve spent many trips headed to the San Juan Islands but always find ourselves in a wonderful home on Orcas Island. So this trip was new for us, not only because we hadn’t been to Lopez but we surely had never slept in a treehouse before! And I’m not gonna lie, I was a little nervous.This is what we saw when we first arrived..
Here’s our view from the deck….
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For those who follow me on Instagram, you’ve already seen this but, this is the place that I got to meet with Jesus Saturday morning!! I could sure get used to this spot!
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Here’s a pic of the entire place, taken from the deck of the treehouse. Except that the bathroom is behind that wall and the shower is outside, on the front porch, tucked into the corner.
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And lastly, here we are...
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Pretty awesome right?!! What a gift the place was as well as the time away together. Thanks again to the best kids ever!!!When we arrived, it was dinner time and we were super hungry, but couldn’t get ourselves to leave there to go out for a bite to eat. So, we indulged in the tray of goodies and bottle of wine the hostess had left for us and sat on that deck until midnight. It was a good decision. We sat there watching ferries glide by on the water, birds sailing right by our heads and the most magnificent sunset. We sang along with our friends Adele, Jim Croce, Bruno Mars and Fleetwood Mac. And we worshipped our hearts out with Jesus Culture, Hillsong and Stephanie Frizzell. We laughed about silly things, listened to each others desires and enjoyed one another's company in ways that we hadn’t in quite some time. All while suspended 40-50 feet above the ground:) Oh what fun!Here’s what I noticed that was different for me. I’ve said this before so it’s not going to be new, but there is more of me.There’s more space for me when I start to feel that old, familiar feeling of anxiety making its appearance. Or that subtle slope that would take me down into the depression space. Numbness that inhibits me from experiencing the fullness of life. On the outside, nothing has changed for me, but the work that I have been doing with Jesus in my soul has made a major change in the way I experience life. Those voices that incited fear in are no longer the loudest. There is another voice that has had the opportunity to grow up and mature that can ask questions of the old voices.Questions like…“What are you afraid of?” “Why are you feeling downcast?” “Is this in response to a real feeling or is it simply an old voice whose purpose is to hold me captive?” A feeling that had tricked me into thinking it was my closest friend, one who would protect, when really it would only isolate and hold me prisoner to itself, robbing me of the moments I’d been given.And when I noticed myself slipping into this space, I noticed myself trying something new. Exercising the new muscles of my heart and mind that make room for compassion. That speak a different word. Responses to the tricky discourse that sounded something like this…“Kari, you’re ok.” (With deep breaths, making room for clarity.) “You are here with the safe man, who loves you. He is good and won’t harm you. There is nothing to be afraid of and you have been given the gift of time. Time away from the routine of life and time to ‘be’. With no agenda except for safe connection.”And here’s the other part of this new free space for me. This whole conversation that I just shared with you, that took place in my head, may have happened over a 3-5 minute time span. What used to rob me of hours, now happens in minutes. It’s incredible! All of the hard, soul work that I have been doing is making a remarkable difference in my everyday life. Not making me more lovable to God, but making me understand how lovable I am to God.I’m not saying that it’s easy because it’s not. But it takes a different kind of work. The work of love. It takes time to pause. Time to listen, time to speak a different word. Words of compassion and tenderness. Words of hope and grace. The kind that bring healing not harm. And all of this has been made possible because of grace, truth and time. These are the very components that I first learned of so early on in the book “Changes that Heal” and they work. They work because they are the very things that God used when He sent His very own Son who was the pathway for the possibility of our freedom. Our God, who lives outside of time, steps into the confines of our humanity and meets us there in it.He is not a far off God, but one who can empathize with our weakness. (Hebrews 4:15)It’s true, He is making all things new! One day at a time, moment by moment, in each of our uniquely designed, fragile hearts that have been fractured by the effects of our sinful world.I am eternally grateful! How about you???