John 1: 16 “From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.”
I have just finished a wonderful week home, where I grew up. Home – where Tracy & I met. Home – where so many memories were made in the 20 years before getting married and moving away. My mind & heart embraced more memories than I could write about here. Each day I experienced smells, sights, sounds, people, that flooded my mind with memories – funny, strange, happy, sad, and every other one you can think of. They are all blessings!!!!!
There are many verses in God’s word that talk about blessings. I chose this one because this is how I experienced them – – “one gracious blessing after another.” You would expect that I would tell you the people were the most important. Yes – they were so very important. But the thing about this visit was that every place I re-visited, every sound, touch, taste, smell, everything evoked memories of people……………even if that people was me. (smile)
While there in the Binghamton/Tri-Cities/Owego area, I visited my high school, my college, each home I lived in, the home/area where Tracy grew up, where I met him, where we dated, the summer site at Cayuga lake where our family spent so much of our summers – oh my, so many memories, and the Mead Farm. The Mead Farm is where I stayed………………….it was just perfect………in a room upstairs in the farmhouse, quilt on the bed, cows in the barn, & field, farm equipment here and there and that wonderful aroma that perhaps only those of us who grew up in the country could appreciate. Old memories………..New memories…………..”one gracious blessing after another.”
The main reason I flew home was to speak at the Induction Ceremony for Tracy. He was inducted onto the Wall of Fame. My cousin, Bonnie Mead, was my date. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and then the ceremony. I’m not sure how to describe the honor to speak on my husband’s behalf. I looked out at faces of people who knew neither me nor Tracy and they teared up, listened intently, celebrated with me. It was extraordinary! My heart was sad, and yet full, proud, honored, soaring.
God put this whole trip together. There’s no way around it. From the very moment Bonnie tagged me on Facebook about the ceremony, everything fell into place. Within 4 weeks I was purchasing tickets, arranging car rental, place to stay etc. etc. etc. God spoke to my heart over and over and showed me that yes, indeed, I was supposed to go home. Now was the time. Blessings.
Isn’t that how God works? When we are in His will & seeking his face, He is so very faithful. I don’t deserve His favor and yet He gives it to me. I love Him so much for that. After all, who am I? Why should I enjoy “one gracious blessing after another”? I’m not sure why He chose to bless me with this trip. It’s at this point that I am so very glad He is the Author of the Play. He sees the end from the beginning. So I trust Him. I simply trust Him.