Birthday Campout

A week ago we celebrated the 5th birthday of one of my granddaughters. Look at her as she blows out the candles on her camp theme cake. She has come a long way in 5 years. She began life with a few challenges, but by the grace of God has overcome many of them. I marvel at her and what God has allowed and is behind the scenes working out, even now. In celebrating, we had a cookout and camped one night in the driveway. For awhile we also had tents pitched in the front yard where I photographed three of my four grandchildren playing.

Actually, three grown men (two daddies and a poppa) and only two little girls spent the night in my son-in-law’s pop-up camper (the set-up can be seen in the attached image). It was also a cool May night for Tennessee and sleeping bags and blankets were handy. Nevertheless, we heard things not normally heard. We saw things not often seen. Before one of my grandsons went into the house to bed, we saw smores (marshmellow-graham cracker like sandwiches with the marshmellows heated in a campfire on a stick) carefully wiped on a sweater. The image is worth savoring. What a mess and what a wonderful memory! We had a lot of fun.

Now, given the fact that my five year old granddaughter has come a long way in her journey, I look back also over the past 5 or 6 six years of my journey and think about where I have been physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually and who has come along side me, my children and their families, the changes and growth of my church, my lunch discussion group, my own health issue, those at work who have left the workplace and whom I miss seeing on a daily basis, an adoption, the places I’ve been, my walking buddies, the struggles of my parents, and of course all my grandchildren.

I think we all should celebrate the spiritual growth we have made. Her birthday was cause of all this reflection. In my mind the change has been significant. It hasn’t always been fun, and I have to admit that at times it has been a bit scary. Yet, everything that has happened has helped me to become a bit more mindful of family and friends and the connectedness of all God’s work, and to see Him more clearly working in and through all of life. He is my blessing.

I suppose He understands it all better than I do.

Luke 2.40 – Jesus grew in wisdom and statute and in favor with God and man.

Romans 12.2 – Allow God to transform you.

Galatians 5.22-23 - Grow in the Lord.