A perfect 64 degrees, the stillness of the early morning captured my spirit. I decided to "just walk a bit." As I stepped off the front porch and looked around at the majestic Oaks, slender Elm, the Sycamores and the Walnut trees, my mind took me back to the days when our girls were just beginning their life's journey.
The first swing that hung by ropes from the large Oak tree that edged our drive, began it's gentle back and forth motion with Lindsey, our very active first born. She loved the swing and would giggle with much happiness when pushed. But she couldn't stay there for long. She had to be in other parts of her world...exploring, creating, singing and praising the Lord with hands lifted way above her head as she made up songs that touched her mother's heart and made it smile with gratitude. So creative, that one.
It was for her third birthday that Daddy created the big playground for a place she and her little sister could entertain each other, and the sounds of giggling girls could warm any heart within hearing distance. Momma even used the swings when she had some alone time...later...after her children were grown and gone. The set started out with tire swings until a neighbor rebuked the girl's daddy for not making "real" swings. The playground was upgraded pretty quickly. But now, as I watch the memories dance around in my head, I notice the ground where it was designed, now bare, wishing for the feet of little girls again. Or is that just me?
The wide slide made out of laminate cabinet topping had to be oiled frequently, in order to offer up a sliding experience second to none. There was also a sandbox placed just under the deck that was at the top of the slide, and two swings made out of rubber and large chains were hung ever so enticingly from the solid oak beam that stretched out to connect to the deck. I had put in a request for a ladder that ran from the deck to the large, old Oak that simply begged for a tree house to live in its branches. We never got that far...but what we had, brought a lot of enjoyment. And the non-existent tree house was vivid in my mind as I watched the girls climb up the horizontal bars attached to the tree, or clamored over the extended ladder, to have tea time in the playhouse.
As the months turned into years, our lives took many a turn. One such turn was when Lindsey's sister, Meg, was given a beautiful Appaloosa horse as a gift of love, near her 13th birthday. Half of our acre wide homestead had to be fenced off to make room for this generous gift. Trottsey had come to live with us and needed a place to graze and lope around. Again, Daddy (and uncle Danny & Grandpa Denzil), came to the rescue. A lean-to was added to an existing shed that was created years before, as a playhouse for the two sisters. Now, Trosttsey could get in out of the weather, and have a place to eat dry food or just snooze. A little later we had to acquire a larger area for her to get enough grazing and to stretch her legs out. Didn't take her long to nub out our yard and there really wasn't space for running. An adventure was about to happen that none could have predicted. To this day, I am still in awe of Meg's ability to calm and direct animals (and people). A bit of her future was being formed...What you have just read, was typed out more than a few years ago. I seriously cannot remember when I began this draft. We were still living in Oklahoma, where the girls grew up because I do remember that particular morning. Why I didn't finish it, is anybody's guess. Most likely I had other fish to fry and just forgot about it. My thought is we were about to make the move to North Carolina and I was taking in all that I could about the place we had called home for the last 37 years and then became distracted by the necessities of life, just to leave it dangling in the archives of this blog space.
I love memory lane! Even the memories that, while experiencing them, weren't so happy. They formed our family. They caused us to stick like glue to the solid foundation that Christ had built for us many, many years ago. We had so many wonderful, happy times; but it was in the darkest of times that we grew to love each other the most. It was in the hard, challenging times, that we pressed into our faith that God would help us move the mountains, or at least create a path through them, and come out the other side, still a family. A family that would understand love just a little more than before the mountain presented itself.
Love is not a feeling. Love is a choice. Sure, we have a lot of warm, fuzzy, feelings when we are happy. But that's not real love, even though we call it that. Love will move mountains. Love covers any adversity and calls it opportunity. Love doesn't hold the injustice of words spoken and determines it's revenge. Nope. Love doesn't take a wrong suffered and retaliate. Love loves. In spite of pain suffered.
We can always trust the words of the Father. "Be strong and courageous. I will never leave you, nor forsake you." ~Deuteronomy 31:6.
I've shared only a few memories, here. Memories of when our children were small. Yet, God's memory of us goes much further back. He knew us before He formed us in our mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5 and Ephesians 1:4-5). He knew the path we would take, yet He loved us enough to sacrifice Himself and show us that we could, indeed, overcome anything that presented itself unpleasant to us. He showed us how to love. Really love...
Making memories, while living off memories, here you'll find me...in Mary's World.
