So, the ride home the other day was beautiful. Lately, the sun has been down by the time I am driving home from work, so it was awesome to see the light for sure. I intentionally left work a bit early and called my son…the one who is home from college and leaves in a few days…the one who I have seen off and on, but who has been really busy.

I called him and said, “Hey, do you want to go for a walk with me at the GreenWay?”  And leaving work became so worthwhile because he said yes and in a few minutes, I was dropping by home to pick him up.  One short stop to McDonalds for a strawberry-banana smoothie, and we were on our way.

So…we walked…and talked and caught up.

The sun was still above the horizon, thankfully.  We took it all in.

Here’s my view of his view…

…yep… it was definitely time well spent.  It’s funny how there are certain times I can look at my adult children and see them standing there being 19, but I’m remembering them being 5…same eyes…same expression…same connection.  yep.  time well spent.

…of course, the cell phone was along for the ride, as well as the strawberry-banana smoothie…

…We’ve taken photos here with his brother, Aus… on a Spring day.  Same tree hanging over the water, same view.  It’s there when we’re out doing our thing, and there when we come back.  It’s a great place for them to sit….kind of like a bench hanging over the water.

…as we walk, we pass lots of visual reminders of change.  The remnants of a fire years ago….the way that life goes on.  Life sure has lots of loss, but we press on, move on, and keep growing.  As he has gotten older, he knows a thing or two about change and loss.  I’m so thankful for the conversation, relationship, and grace that helps to keep things in perspective, helps us see loss in a different light….helps us see and seek the joy in the middle of it.

I’m thankful for truth that rocks and mountains were meant to climb, and for the desire to climb them that was so there when he was little and is even more there now that he’s older.  Praying that he keeps reaching and climbing. Always…and enjoys the view. “Wow…you can see everything up here!” he says.  So his mom ventures to climb the rock as well. Yep, thankful for those who climb and reach and in so doing, encourage others, (even their moms ) to climb.

I’m thankful for visual reminders and verses that come to mind ‘out of the blue’ as we see things.  Here’s one:  “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my Deliverer’ my God is my Rock in whom I take refuge…” (Psalm 18:2)

Thankful for rushing water that’s loud and cold and clear.

Thankful for the visual of how the ridges on the rocks underneath determine the waves on the surface. That’s another blog, but something I’ve been thinking about.  Fun to talk about as we watch all the big and little waves on a day when the river was overflowing.

So on this Thankful Thursday, there are so many things to be thankful for.  Love so much catching up with my children, and what’s going on not just on the surface, but underneath it all.  So so very thankful that they are a gift, and that even though there are times when they won’t say “Yes” to taking a walk, that there are precious moments when they do.  And when they do?  I’m all in!

Oh, and can’t beat that that night my girl Hope had a wonderful chai latte waiting for me…even labeled it….

Yep. It was a good day….

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story…”

Psalm 107:1-2

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