I spent the past week in Seattle, Washington with my sister-n-law who's ill.  Time with her beautiful family on their turf made for an adventure with God written all over it.  Here are a few life lessons from the Pacific Northwest.

Being alone makes room for God. I don't like being alone.  I especially don't like traveling alone.  Wondering around in the airport, alone, makes me face myself in all my inadequacy.  What better companion than God; I hear him best when I'm alone. He helps me to see beyond myself.

 

The sun is always coming.  My nephew has a night-light that is timed.  It's a moon during the night hours.  And it turns into a sun in the morning.  Aidan went to bed each night with anticipation that the sun was coming; that's when he could get out of bed.  I saw him sitting on his bed one morning before the sun was "on".  Sitting cross-legged with his fists on his chin, he was hopeful.  He was sure,  The sun always comes.

  An empty plate is a happy plate. My sister-n-law and her husband are awesome parents (there should be a book with some of their tips).  The kids were encouraged to eat, because "an empty plate is a happy plate".  This is true for adults.  We clean our plates by meeting the demands of a busy schedule only to fill our plate again.  Find time to have an empty, happy plate.

 

 There's protection from the rain. I thought rain boots were mostly for decoration and puddle stomping.  But sometimes there's so much rain.  We need protection from it.  God is our covering.  Our bodies may be drenched by the rain, but our souls have protection.

There's super in the simple.  Find it.

 To borrow from Eponine of Les Mis, "Rain will make the flowers grow".

Used-up,  sometimes icky things, can be a part of a big beautiful masterpiece. My favorite part of sight-seeing happened to be the Gum Wall in Seattle.  Both horrible and beautiful.  Always have perspective to see the beauty.
  Love makes the world go 'round ...and it makes you go 'round the world........and back.  (Traveling across America seems that far). I'm thankful for a week of getting to love on and be loved by the Gatties.  I'm thankful to have returned to the love of my own "Burdens".

 

Thanks Seattle!