Camping with the kids

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Wendell Berry, from New Collected Poems

I went camping with my Astronomy Club students as a research getaway to Mt. Lemmon.  Temps got down into the 30's!!!  It was such a great time.  And we had a few wild things come visit our campsite...

i heart mis vecinos

I'm gearing up for a camping trip with my students (YES, you can pray for me).  And while this morning was the peak of my stress, I feel like this evening has been the opposite. 

I went to the campsite straight after school to check things out - it was GORGEOUS!  I love everything about going out there - the drive, listening to music FULL BLAST (check out our awesome new music!), the outline of the mountains against the sky, and the mountains roaring up as you approach the canyon.  Today, I didn't stay long but there were beautiful purple thistles blooming.  Thistles are actually one of my favorite "flowers" (I'll snag a pic this weekend), so I felt like it was a little offering from Jesus saying, "See!  You love it out here!  This trip is going to be great - don't worry.  You've planned, and I will take care of the rest".  

It helped me realize I'm scared of disappointing my students.  I am such a chill, relaxed person - more likely to enjoy walking around and sitting outside more than attempting to summit a mountain or constantly need to be doing something- Hence God's intended assurance that he will take care of the trip.  

THANKS.

Then the best part of the evening is as I was consolidating camping gear in the garage with the door open, 4 of the neighborhood kids decided they should play in my driveway.  :D!  I've talked to them a few times, but because I'm the resident not-great-Spanish-speaking white chick, I'm somewhat of an enigma I think, and a little intimidating. So they started coming around on the scooter, then the football got a little closer, then talking, then "Can we have some water?", and "Can we see your house?", and stories of how they lost balls to Darcy in the backyard.  I felt so bad!  And she was NOT calm when they came in the backyard...humph - dang dog...

But it was such a little gift from Jesus as I was feeling ever-so-lonely today and wanting people just living life around my house so it didn't feel so empty and lifeless.  

Gotta love the creative way he answers our longings...