Monday, June 17, 2013

I'm back

vacation  2013

kids:
10-year-old Gabe: At least my suntan is earned, not bought. 
Shanna (mom): Listen kid, the reason you are so tan is something called genes.
Gabe: I haven't worn jeans in weeks.
Shanna: No, genes. Your father was hispanic.

Six-year-old Gavin (after getting off Space Mountain at Disney World: That was terrifying, but it was awesome.
Gavin (floating into what is billed as restricted area at Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios): Mom, I don't think we're supposed to be in here.
Gavin (in same ride): Mom, I think the plant-eaters are real. The meat-eaters aren't, right?

Four-year-old Emma as we trailed her on the first ride upon which we road: My gosh, you are so slow.

We've made it a week, perhaps the first time we've spent that much time together since Carrie was 13, Shanna 18 and me and Mary much, much younger. We've hurt together (long periods of leg cramps, back aches, calf boo-boos, you name it). We've had our disagreements about what would come next, and through it all, I felt a bit of something close to being maudlin. Why? Does everything think so deeply while on vacation? Admittedly not. But I watched people on those less than rare moments when I had to take breaks because I was hurting so dang much, and I saw older people than myself walking with wee grandbabies and I wondered just what I have left in that regard.

I looked backwards at 13 years ago, and the kids were, well, kids. But in those 13 years, life happened. 

It's like a turn on that old Tee-shirt, "I came to Universal Studios and all I felt was old."

My prayers for patience were answered, but I kept thinking about the churches I left with someone else, about the change in charge coming in two weeks, about saying goodbye to one church in a week's time, about vacation Bible School coming in two weeks and I'm happy the vacation came to and end and mournful as well.

That's life, I reckon. I long to be closer to Jesus even at Disney World. I long to be better. I long to be, well, good. And I never seem to get there. It's only in those moments when I finally turn to the grace God gives me that I can really, really lighten up.

And it seemed to happen Sunday at a wonderful contemporary worship service at First United Methodist Church Kissimmee, Fla. 

God is here, there and everywhere, all the time.

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