Perfect Day

The dogwoods are blooming in Valley Forge.  It's a glorious spring day.  High clouds float by in a deep blue sky.  Bird song mingles with the chatter of Liana and her friend as their voices are carried on a soft breeze.  The girls are doing a photo shoot, as always, practicing their skills at different events and different locations.  They even dressed up for the occasion anticipating pictures they will post here and there.  Earlier at our house Arielle and Steven studied algebra out on the deck, heads bent low over their work.  Liana and Carina sat side by side on the piano bench, playing songs and singing together.  Fred fired up his chain saw to cut firewood for next winter, and when I look out the window, I see he is smiling.  It's that kind of day. All is well in my world right now.  Peace.  The stress is washed away by these good kids in our home and my dear husband, always working so hard.  

The Christmas hymn comes to mind, "All is well, all is well..." and then I hear "Our God reigns!"  All is well because he reigns even when we don't feel the peace.  But today--ah!  I do feel it.  It's quite a precious gift.  This whole day is a gift.  After the relentless storms of winter burying us in snow and ice and the endless bitter cold, but, now!  God makes all things new.  His trees survived and so did we.  The dogwoods revel in their pink and white blooms and we rejoice with renewed hope.  We know winter will come again, but today we dance.

People across the park are finding benches or patches of grass, and they just sit quietly in awe of the beauty around us.  Tomorrow we will rush around and fume and complain.  Today we let it all go, resting among the fluffy, fairyland trees with warm sunshine on our faces.

The sun is dipping lower and I don't want this day to end.  Can we stop it right here?  Hold this moment?  Many minutes and photos later, the girls are laughing.  Arielle and Steven have joined them after hiking halfway around the park.  They are all still full of boundless energy.  They climb in those gorgeous trees and take more pictures.  Arielle has a pink bloom in her hair.  Her heart is full.  

These winding paths and majestic trees hold abundant memories for me.  I remember so much of the hours spent here through the years.  I don't believe there was ever an angry word spoken here and never did darkness lurk in my heart.  In this place, only joy, only peace, only light.  My little boys, my little girls.  Now my big girls are here making new memories to capture and keep.  Liana will record them with her photos, I with my words--all inadequate to express enough gratitude to God for the joy we have today.

.