Tuesday, June 26, 2012
But thy eternal summer shall not fade."
William Shakespeare
This is my 90th blog - but who's
counting! I believe I average about 1,000 words per blog so this means
I've written some 90,000 words during the last two and a half years. And
they've flowed so freely and have been such a joy. I thank the many who are
reading them and developing an interest in the Bible.
During the summer, many of
us look to escape our 'do this every day' life and seek out a new
landscape and reprieve from routine. I recently spent a week with my husband on
Coronado Island.
Coronado - a poem waiting to be written! As you drive across the graceful curve of the Coronado Bridge, which connects to San Diego, you are coming into an adventure. This lovely island - peninsula really - has so much to discover. You’ll enjoy the beautiful wide sandy beaches and interesting history. Take a walk and you’ll find charming homes surrounded by delightful English style gardens filled with blossoms drinking in the ocean's moisture. Their fragrance suspended as if in a cloud. And, as its centerpiece, the magnificent Hotel del Coronado built in 1888. This is truly a Victorian splendor, white sided and red roofed – a masterpiece of a century past.
Coronado - a poem waiting to be written! As you drive across the graceful curve of the Coronado Bridge, which connects to San Diego, you are coming into an adventure. This lovely island - peninsula really - has so much to discover. You’ll enjoy the beautiful wide sandy beaches and interesting history. Take a walk and you’ll find charming homes surrounded by delightful English style gardens filled with blossoms drinking in the ocean's moisture. Their fragrance suspended as if in a cloud. And, as its centerpiece, the magnificent Hotel del Coronado built in 1888. This is truly a Victorian splendor, white sided and red roofed – a masterpiece of a century past.
On Flag Day,
June 14th, American flags line the main street reminding us that
this is a city of patriots. We rediscover the art of dining, a favorite
pastime with tourists. All this, only one hour from where we live.
When we returned home, I
realized that I had left a small pouch of jewelry in the bedroom safe at the
condo resort. If I put anything in a safe, I always use this combination -
3314. I took this from Exodus 33:14, a perfect 'traveling'
verse. . .
"The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
This is exactly what we
needed, God's Presence and a rest! I didn't worry about the pouch – nothing was
in it of great monetary value. I kept in mind that God is in the business
of 'restoration' and He would restore my jewelry. I called the condo
resort. They had my jewels and would send them to me. Then, several days
past and I didn't receive them - now I'm a little worried and began to focus
more on what I may have lost than a faithful God. My anxiety
increased, just slightly.
First, I thought of the little
dark blue tennis - print draw-string pouch made for me by a fellow Special
Olympic tennis coach who was so dear to me. I had traveled all over the world
with this jewelry pouch tucked into my carry-on bag or purse. We'd been
to places like Uganda, Africa where I'd taught at a Rafiki Girls Center,
Belgium where we'd worked in a print shop, Sweden where I visited family,
and South East Asia where I taught a Bible study on-board a Princess
Cruise ship. That little pouch was a treasure!
And then, I thought about
the jewelry contained in the pouch - at first thought, nothing of significant
value - then I took a closer look.
My Grandma Ruby's gold
wedding band, nearly 100 years old now. I wear it often and am reminded
of my dear grandparents, Harry and Ruby, and how they met in a Lutheran Church while young teens and became 'confirmed in the faith' together.
A mother-of-pearl cross
purchased in Israel in 1999 while visiting Tiberius, now a resort town located
on the west shore of Lake Galilee. I paid less than a dollar for it, but
it is precious to me. I purchased it in a Christian gift shop
located above another store. I remember this small store, crowded with
Christian tourists eager to take home a memento from the Holy Land. I
also had another cross bought for me by my friend Kay. When I wear it,
I'm reminded of her and that she too was blessed with the gift of 'being there' on the
Sea of Galilee.
There was another small
ring in the pouch, silver, heart-shaped and bought in an antique store in 1982
while visiting the home of Shakespeare, in Stratford-on-Avon, England. The
engraving on the ring is well worn, and I fantasize that maybe, just maybe, Ann
Hathaway had worn it. I think I paid $12.00 for this treasure.
Two pair of pearl earrings were there - one from special friend Karen, a
gift for my 50th birthday. The other pair belonged to a relative. Also,
there was a pair of gold earings that my husband purchased at a garage sale in
San Jose, CA. He'd paid $2.00 for a whole sack of costume jewelry and
there among the fake stuff were these lovely real gold earrings. The
sparkling crystal Swarovski earrings I had bought while on a river cruise from
Amsterdam to Budapest were in that pouch. My cousin Gerry and his wife Nancy
were with us and good memories of that time surface when I put them on. We
cruised through Germany on a river boat, and then boarded a student bus to
the beautiful city of Prague where we have family living. I had my wallet
stolen from my purse on the Charles Bridge. Not everything is perfect
when you venture out in the world.
Last - a silver
bracelet bought for $5.00 in Mexico while on a trip to Puerto Penesco with
friends, Karen and Dean. This bracelet has seven links. In
Scripture, the number seven means complete. Carved on the links -Family, Hope,
Trust, Joy, Truth, Charity and Love. I relate this to Galatians 5:22
which lists the 'fruit of the spirit' – God’s gifts to the believer through the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Why
would anyone not want to have these gifts freely given to those who know Jesus
as Lord and Savior?
As the Lord withheld, for
several days, the return of my jewels, I began to reflect on how much I really
wanted to redeem these treasures and trusted they'd be restored to me. I
also came to the conclusion that their true value was in the memories,
not the item itself. They are a part of my life, my history, people I
cherish, places I've been, adventures the Lord has allowed me to have. . .all
of it restored the day I opened the envelope sent by the hotel containing my
treasures.
The Bible is full of
stories of restoration. God restores health, a crippled man got up and
walked, a blind man could see! He restores our faith - and most important
Jesus has restored our relationship with God, Romans 10:4.
“Christ is the end of the
law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”
Psalm 126:3 "The Lord has done
great things for us, and we are filled with joy."
Thank you Lord for restoring my treasure of
memories bound up in that little bag of jewelry. You are an awesome God!
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