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I’ve discovered someplace that makes me almost as happy as being home or being with my girls and their families. We were supposed to be in Colorado by Sunday evening, but we decided to go out a day early, and I am grateful we did. After a stop for a full body CT scan for Sam, we kept on driving and made it to our destination on Saturday evening.

Sunday morning, we woke up to a piece of heaven and decided the only place to be was in church. What an experience, attending a packed 100-year-old Congregational church with complete strangers who exhibited love and grace and acceptance and a resolve to worship God together. The message was about the parable of the rich man… As we left the building an hour and a half later, I turned to Sam and said, “I feel like this could be our home.” It was one of those messages and services where the presence of the Holy Spirit was so…present. I was on the verge of tears the entire service. We are very rich, indeed. So, so blessed, and very, very grateful in this season.

For the past three days, God has been right here.

But, during a pre-dawn walk yesterday, Sam and I talked, and such a simple truth dawned on us. God performs this beauty, this gift of a sunrise, this masterpiece of creation, every. single. day. Even when we don’t get up pre-dawn to experience it. Even when we don’t acknowledge His presence, He shows up.

Even when we can’t feel Him and are weighed down with despair, He is carrying the weight for which we are unaware.

Monday, we got off the chair lift and did what we do. We walked. It was a four mile downhill hike, but it was glorious. Nothing to distract us from listening to a random bird and the breeze whistling through the fragrant pines on the mountain. Time passed, the trail seemed longer and longer, and we began to wonder if we would make it to the base before dark. We crunched along as we navigated the rocky trail, and then, God showed up in another gift, through a very Texan couple. Larry and Karen walked with us the rest of the 2 miles, and at the end of the afternoon, we were friends.

I am grateful for a husband who likes to meet new people and strike up conversation.

On Tuesday afternoon, they gave us the ride of our lives, to secret places we would never have discovered on our own. The beauty took my breath. Several times, we remarked that we couldn’t believe we were experiencing such a place as this. These two strangers/friends spent an entire afternoon with us so that we could witness where God also shows up, every day, even when we don’t. And not only does He show up in the wildflowers and the waterfalls and the mountain splendor, God showed up in the form of a Texan couple with hearts big as Dallas.

Today, we are driving back home to our own heaven on earth. It is a bittersweet drive, leaving this newfound happy place, dealing with some scary and unknown news, wanting to go back to where we could forget for a few days, but also wanting to be home where we feel safe from the world.

I am so very grateful that as we drive, God goes before us.

He is with us.

He is already showing up tomorrow. And we plan to watch in wonder and awe…