"I admire your endurance," a man said to me on Thursday when I was out on a walk in about 100-degree weather. He continued, "It's even too hot for me to pull my trashcan down the driveway and out to the road, and you're out walking."
What can I say, it must be the Bermudian blood in me, because I just wasn't "suffering" outdoors the way others were saying they would. In fact, I was loving the feeling of the sun on my skin. All morning, I had been craving sunshine and nature, so I went for it. I told the Powell fellas I'd be back in about 45 minutes, but my walk kept me out for three and a half hours as a result of time spent by the river and several other sweet encounters I was blessed to experience along the way.
At the river, I ended up seeing two friends boating whom I hadn't seen in about two years. They now live in a different state and had only gotten back in town just for the weekend the night before. It's interesting that when I first spotted the boat from a distance as I was walking, a strong feeling overcame me that I would know the people in it. There was even wishful thinking that I might even end up going for a boat ride with them. :-) Well, that part didn't happen, but the other part did since I ended up knowing the boaters and got to chat with them as they parked their boat to pull it out of the water.
The thing is, not long before arriving at the river, I internally thanked God for the beauty that surrounds us in nature. That, alone, is super special to me, but I also asked Him for one of those extra-special "God-Hugs" that He almost always sends to me in the great outdoors.
Then, voila... Minutes later, there were the friends I hadn't see in two years. David, pictured above, had once taken my son and his on a day-long wilderness-excursion for a cleansing from technology and such. When our boys first started high school, he had also planned to get a small group of dads and sons together, my guys included, to retreat at a mountain getaway to share some teen "accountability" ideas he learned in the book, Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis.
While his wife, my dear friend, Vicki, wasn't out on the water with her husband and daughter this day, she and I had JUST chatted via text that morning after having been out of contact for such a long time. Then, a few hours later, half her family turns up right before my eyes.
When they left the pier, I began walking the boardwalk again and suddenly felt led to look down to see this heart glaring up at me! Does God not communicate His LOVE in all sorts of forms?!
Thrilled about about this mini-reunion at the river and the related prayer during my walk right before it, I sat on the dock and called my husband, Collin, to blurt out all of my excitement. Next, I called my friend, Anita, to continue sharing my joy and the sequence of events. Oh how Anita "gets" these sorts of encounters that I get so thrilled about. Her enthusiasm that matches and/or exceeds mine just further adds to it all. According to her, I have a "gift" in this area of attracting these "God-Hugs" when I'm out in nature. Whatever the case, I love it...and I love when she and I share these "God-Hugs" together.
At one point, I turned around and immediately spotted a silver letter "G" on a pole (below). I hadn't noticed it before, but there it suddenly was as Anita and I talked so joyfully about our loving God and our desire to go deeper with Him.
Lingering at my chat-stop, I crossed over to another side of the grass via a little muddy path. Once on the opposite side, I turned around, looked down, and spotted this cross with a heart not far from it (see it?) precisely at the time Anita was suggesting a special Bible-related writing project to me."Penny, who knows, you could be the next Beth Moore," she exclaimed. Always the encourager!
Hmmh, was God agreeing with her? As I looked up, there was a cloud shaped like an angel, and then it disappeared as quickly as I had spotted it, so no captured picture of that.
These sorts of little-but-big things that just show up during my walks are incredibly special to me, and I don't take them for granted at all. They are worth far more than any material object I could ever set my eyes on.
"Wow, God truly is everywhere," Anita texted to me when she viewed the pictures I've included in this blog post. "He surrounds you all from your true passion to seek Him first," she said.
Thanks, Anita, for also excitedly seeking Him and sharing your compatible enthusiasm for His love. The journey really is extra special having you as a co-seeker. I love you and your passion for our Creator and all of his God-Hugs! :-)
Sisters in Christ forever!
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