Swiss Family Feddersen in our orange amphibious vehicle, rolling over the tree stumps and broken up trails. We emerge into the open where the whole of the valley opens up to us in glorious and generous splendor. We see the smoke from the forest fire, burning up the end of summer heat. Our dog is running ahead of us, on the prowl for anything that threatens, he protecting us while the children yell for him when he slips from view, protecting him in return. The sun is setting through the trees, fall light casting long shadows and she says what my heart is crying:

“Oh mamma…I think God is playing with us in this night”. I ask her to repeat it because she is three and could she have possibly have really just said that? A smile plays across her lips as she curls into my side, her pirate sword raised high, her hair wild in the winds. And she says it again “God…he made this for us to play with. He is playing with us”. My eyes well with tears and again I wonder how much I’ve missed? How many evenings have I blustered and rushed and missed the God of the universe in her heart? In mine? Longing to bring peace where there has been strife? Whisper love over all the bumps in our family life. How many times have I let the annoyances, that seem so frequent, rule in our household when I could submit to a much more gentle truth?

The truth that gratitude in the moment, for the moment turns ordinary moments into extraordinary ones. That there is beauty to be found even in the most difficult of days. That God, wants to play with us, wants to be our joy, wants us to relish this extravagant world he gave us, wants to speak to us, love on us. Wants all of our worship, all of our praise.

Praising today for:

712) Cousin Love

713) Church Love

714) Home…Sunsets

715) Harvest…bringing it in green…temperature is dropping fast

716) That slow poke moon last week…

Linking with:

The Wellspring & A Holy Experience (you should REALLY follow her today…so amazing) and Emily Wierenga.