Diversity Is A Good Thing

I’ve been doing a lot of journaling for the last couple of days. I’m trying to work through a relationship problem that has been weighing heavily on me. The realizations I have come to are not new ideas but are so simple that sometimes we just need to be reminded of them.

God created us as individuals with our own likes and dislikes. That’s what makes life so interesting. How exciting would the world be if we all were good at the same thing, we all liked the same things, and we all thought the same way? We need to rejoice and encourage one another in our diversities. Which brings me back to my problem of someone who is trying to make me into the image of who they want me to be.

I think I need to indulge myself right now in those things that bring me joy in life. The more I’m able to do that to strengthen my own identity, the better I’ll be able to not get down when I don’t measure up to someone else’s idea of who I should be. Writing all this down helps me to realize that I don’t want to be the kind of person who makes others feel less than they are. I want to help others discover the good and the beauty in themselves that is uniquely their own.

We cannot be who God intends for us to be if our lives are so enmeshed in someone else’s life that the two cannot be separated. We honor God best when we maintain our own unique identities and we are able to appreciate and love others because of, not despite, their differences.

I think I’m going to get outdoors and take some photos today.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Photo

Sharing a little beauty from my day, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

Trains Remind Me Of My Roots

Today I decided to get back to my family tree research. While I was recording some of the history, I started thinking about whether my ancestors ever imagined having a descendent who might be fascinated with their lives. Did they feel a need to connect with their past too? What makes me feel connected to my family history?

There are times when certain smells or sounds can transport us to another place or time. For me it’s the sight or sound of a train. Trains remind me of my roots. My great-grandfather worked as a switchman for the railroad. He was killed on the job at 29 years of age when he became trapped between two moving box cars. His son, my grandfather, rode box cars around America when he was a teenager. Almost 50 years later he was almost killed by a train while he was in a car crossing the tracks. He survived but was never the same afterwards.

My father was a conductor for the railroad. Many of his buddies were railroaders too and their lives always seemed to revolve around the railroad. When my father died, he was buried in a cemetery next to railroad tracks. His grave sits only feet away from the tracks. When I go there, it’s not unusual to have a train pass by. There have been times when the conductor blows his horn as he passes. It always feels like my dad saying hello to me.

A Lesson From the Geese

I love it when my mornings start with simple joys. On the road to church this morning I saw a flock of Canadian geese crossing the road on foot. I’ve seen mallards (usually in threes) cross the road, raccoons carrying their young cross during the twilight hours, and I’ve even had a nanny goat block my car from passing in Ireland. That was the first time I’ve seen a flock of Canadian geese though.

That sight that brought a giggle to my soul made me realize even though we may have wings for soaring (or in our case wheels to whisk us from place to place), sometimes feeling the earth beneath our feet is one of the best ways to experience life. Reminds me of the line from that Simon and Garfunkel song that says “Slow down you move too fast. Got to make the morning last.”

Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me to document the geese but here’s a photo of the goat in Ireland with her head in my car window. Don’t you just love being blessed by the unexpected joys in the world?

Catoctin Kayaking

Headed off this morning with my friend and our kayaks to paddle the northern section of the Patuxent River in Maryland. We had never been there before so we counted on the internet directions to be accurate - they weren't! We did end up finding it but the river was too low for anything but minnows.

We ventured further west and while searching some back roads for a put-in on the Monacacy River, where we had spotted a kayaker from the highway, we somehow managed to find ourselves in a gyrocopter field. That was an interesting find. If you've never seen a gyrocopter, picture a canoe with an engine on the back and a propeller on the top, and you've got a pretty good idea what they look like. I couldn't quite believe someone would feel secure flying in a makeshift canoe. I spoke with an owner of one and asked him if they're as scary as they look. He said, "only for the first couple of hours". He didn't seem like a joking kind of guy so I'm fairly certain I'll never be writing here about any first-hand gyrocopter experiences.

After four hours of driving and searching various other locations in Montgomery, Howard, and Frederick County, we finally decided to take a drive through the Catoctin State Park in the Catoctin Mountains. There we passed a large river bed with too many large rocks for any type of water craft (shown in above photo), and then finally happened upon a lake in the woods. A lake would never be my first choice for kayaking but, Hey, at least it was water!

Fleeting Passing Deer Moment

I almost missed this moment today of a doe and her two fawns.

Mueller Poem/Flower Photo

Have you ever walked in a wilderness…and lifted your face
in prayer…the feeling is so wonderful…for God is dwelling there…you can see Him in the animals…in the leaves upon the tree…His green carpet seems
to echo…All these things
I have given thee. - Mary Hensler Mueller

I took this photo at Gunpowder Falls State Park

Innocence Mission quote

Line from an Innocence Mission song:
"I have not seen this day before." That line for me resonates joyful anticipation and gives me hope. No matter what is going on in our lives, a new day is always a new beginning. The words are a simple truth and if read too quickly, their meaning could be missed.

Introduction with Poem/Prayer

This poem I wrote today reflects where I recently went with a loved one and how God brought me through it because I was open to Him.

Darkness and the Light

The darkness has abducted her
  I hear it in her voice
  I see it in her conduct
  I know it by her words

The darkness recognizes her
  She clings to it
  She allows it to breathe in her
  She bows to its power

The darkness is gluttonous and demands more
  I struggle to resist
  She pulls to take me along
  My pleas she will not hear

The darkness swallows and feeds
  Its vortex spins
  clutching me within
  and though I have joined her, I am alone

Suddenly, unexpected illumination
  from the gaze of creation
  delivering to me hope
  confirming I am not alone

You have been there all along
  In my childhood you wiped my tears
  Today you strengthen and fill me
  Tomorrow you will guide me

All along I kept the secrets locked
  but you were there and know them all
All along I thought I was worthless
  but you deemed me worthy
All along I suffered in silence
  but now I come to you in prayer

Hold me, Father, and let me not forget the goodness of your being. Give me the faith I need to reach out to you when the darkness shadows my life. Allow me to feel my hand in yours when I feel I am alone. Help me to be the person you envision me to be. - Amen