In Time

This past weekend was a bit different than the past four. We've been traveling, directing weddings, or building a deck, which means a flurry of activity. My house looks like it needs to be surrounded by CAUTION tape and labeled with the words --Disaster Area--. Yet, this past Friday I had a day off and my husband insisted on a ride through the Blue Ridge Parkway, just the three of us: Scott, Charley, and myself. I packed a picnic lunch, blanket, and treats for Charley. We left before 1 PM, stopped by Starbucks for a latte, and were on our way.
It was magnificent. After driving down the road for 45 minutes we happened upon a little overlook we know well. It was the place where Charley first stepped onto the mountains as a puppy. Four years ago we took him for a similar trip and we stopped at the same place for memory's sake. This time, I didn't have the nervousness when Scott let him off the leash to run. Even when cars would pull up, I just said "Charley, come!" and he would dash to my side, his tail wagging and tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. Per usual happenings, when we are in public with our sweet dog, he makes friends immediately. Our lunch on the stone wall was cozy and breezy, with Charley balancing on the wall (during these stunts, I was nervous) or chasing the baseball. (A baseball found lodged under the passenger seat of our car, thankfully!) The colors were vibrant and the air was chilly, whispering 'autumn has arrived' gently.
After lunch, we continued our ride, talking the whole way to our destination: Chateau Morrisette...however, we missed the turn and drove an extra 25 miles past the winery. Ooops. In time, we made it back, and the story was a bit comical, partly due to the fact that we kept driving and then because I realized we had our GPS (in the middle console) 20 miles into our long'er' trip. Eventually, we madeuse of the GPS, drove up to "the house the dogs built", shopped, let Charley get to know the other pups, went through a wine tasting, and believe it or not, only managed to take one picture! It was a blast!
The day reminded me of God's perfect hand in creativity. His beauty shone all around us in deep reds, loud yellows, and spicy oranges. Then, I thought how gracious my God is to give me this time with my husband. A span of a few hours where we didn't talk about loss or pain or heartache, where we just relished the colors, the weather, and the company around us. I was able to kiss and hug on my husband. I hugged on Charley, too. We laughed so much and there were no tears.
In time, God heals--in His time. After having to go back to work today, I had to sit down this afternoon and blog. This morning my waterworks would not stop, my heart was heavy, and I just felt sad. I prayed all 35 minutes to work. So, I put a box of tissues on my desk, dried my eyes, and tackled the day. I had a sweet email from my friend, Abby, which at first, encourage tears, but then pushed me to God's grace in my life. At the day's end, I am reminded how great the God we serve is...His beauty is matchless, His love is enough, and I need to remember, time is ultimately, His. "I'm running back to His promises, one more time. That's all I can hold on to."