I cried several times a week for the first 6 months of our living here. I was the contentious woman that a man dreads coming home to. My favorite question to ask was, "Why in the world did you bring us here?" followed with a very passionate, "I hate it here!" God's sovereignty was a foreign concept to me, so everything was my Beloved's fault, and I was just wondering why God didn't put an end to all of my misery. All I knew was how barren the landscape was and how barren my heart felt.
Here we are, 15 years later, still living in the desert. I have majestic mountains right outside my window, and I can't look at those mountains without thinking of the greatness of God. I witness some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. In other words, I can see the beauty that was here all along, the beauty that my fist-pounding, temper-tantrum-throwing self refused to see.
We took a walk last week, a nature walk. 90 minutes of stopping along the way to wonder at the earth declaring the glory of God, with its asters and buffalo gourds and unidentified works of His hands. So much of HIS goodness seen in just 90 minutes, and I marveled at it all. Wait! There are cows and horses and anthills and wildflowers and grasshoppers and...
But most of all, it was a walk down the memory-lane of God's goodness to me, reminders in purple and green and blue and orange, and in the form of little people with the cutest legs ever and the happiest smiles, little people who see life and marvels and God's goodness wherever they are. How could I have ever thought God set me in a barren place?
What a wonder it is that He gives us eyes to see.
Thank you for this, Trisha. It's exactly what I needed to read today. Love you!
ReplyDeleteNo alpaca pictures?
ReplyDeleteChrist's blessings on the Poffs.
Trisha I have often thought the same moving here to Texas. I was so used to all different seasons of beautiful brilliant colors and winter were we had snow and summer was gorgeous spring would have beautiful flowers and we came to Texas where is very dry and brown and there isn't a whole lot of trees and they don't turn beautiful colors. Yet I've never lived anywhere else where the sky is not as beautiful as here the sunsets and sunrises are absolutely gorgeous and there are beautiful things if I am willing to see them and I had to be willing to see the beauty here too I know exactly what you mean these pictures were gorgeous it was fun being able to see your kids see the beauty surrounding where you live I'm so glad that you do too. :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this. So beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes. :)
ReplyDeleteThe wonder of God's creation in nature and the wonder of God working in our hearts and lives, so beautifully woven together, with precious smiling faces throughout. Absolutely beautiful!! <3
ReplyDeleteIsn't God good to us? I remember feeling the same way when my husband moved our family to Florida. I thought of it as a vacation spot not as my home state. I, too, was used to the four seasons and loved living in Ohio. We packed up and left family behind with our little daughter. However, God opened my eyes to His beauty, His purpose and His goodness. We welcomed our three sons who were born here, and I found His plan was far better than anything I could have dreamed of. Thank you for sharing His grace to your family today in pictures and words!
ReplyDeleteNo barrenness here.
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Trisha. Thank you for sharing your world.
-E
All I see is beauty everywhere! Especially in the precious and beautiful faces of all your children! Wonderful post today, Trisha.
ReplyDeleteLove you dearly~
You. Are. Precious. XO
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful nature walk!
ReplyDeleteI find so much peace in God's sovereignty over all things. It's so much easier to rest when He says "no." And look at all the beauty He has added to your life in those 15 years! Isn't it lovely to see how He worked in you through all those "barren" moments?
I understand how you felt. I grew up in Phoenix, but didn't want to live in the desert. Colorado was a little closer to my expectations...which is where we live now; but I missed Phoenix when I moved away from it. I missed it when we were socked in with snow and mud, I missed the warm winters, and the palm trees, I missed all that was familiar and comfortable from where I grew up. My daughter in law is from the south, when she and my son moved back here for a season, she felt just the way you did. I could understand, because things are different here; I also love those things about the South that you mentioned. But as you say, you learn to see the beauty of your surroundings... every part of God's creation is beautiful in its unique way... We begin to take root and love our home after a season of time, and that is a good thing. Looking at your pictures reminds me of our area. We are just 5 hours north of you, so the terrain is similar. We pass through your way a couple times of year on our way to Phoenix. It all feels like home to me... because we have gone back and forth through this terrain for many years. I do love the mountains and the wide open spaces of the West. I love the sunshine and the dry temperatures,the beautiful sunsets and the amazing views. Blessings to you Trish, loved the post.
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