Well, I’m home. And with being home it brings a flood of emotions — happy and sad and grateful and nostalgic and exhausted {is that an emotion?} and melancholy and more.
Yet, here I sit tonight, with dinner being prepared, and the laundry churning, and remnants of vacation, of Woodland, slowly being put away. The marshmallows from the smores are sitting on the table and the decks of cards scattered on the island and piles of sand rest by the front door. Waiting to be swept up. So that “real” life can resume.
Vacations make me think about life. I begin to ponder how I spend my time — how I tend to live in that frenzied sort of existence — and then how just as quickly I can live in a small one bedroom cabin, with dirt roads, and heavy screen windows, and a lake 30 feet away, and a fraction of my earthly possessions and I can feel more content than I do with all my stuff.
Peaceful.
All the stuff that I think I need to do and have and go and be doesn’t really bring happiness. The stuff? It becomes more that I need to manage, put-away, take care of, sort, sell, donate, clean, launder, read, and deal with. And that takes away time from my family.
And that brings me to chairs. Those brightly colored chairs from the 50’s were the chairs where my family gathered and sat less than 24hours ago. All of us — even though there was packing to do — we took our last moments up at the lake to sit together, around a fire, and live. It’s a celebration of family. And of the real important.
I want to live knowing that I’ve spent time sitting in those chairs — wherever they may be — with my family.
It’s a slowing down.
I don’t want to lose the lesson of Woodland.
I just want to sit for a moment longer.
16 comments
Love this post, because it’s so true. It’s like that saying, ‘The best things in life are free.’ Cheesy, but true. I’m glad you had a good vacation; it’s nice to get away for a while. 🙂
Tis true: less is more… Now to just live there.
Sweet pictures. Can’t wait to see more and more, of course!
I love this, Rachel. Thanks for sharing a part of your family vacation with us.
love this post- woodland sounds magical 🙂
You need to find some chairs and take time every once and a while and all sit on them. Maybe making smores! You can heat up marshmallows over a stove! You don’t need to be in Woodland to live the lessons of Woodland!
The Lord knows everything you’re going through and is there with you every step of the way. Praying!
Hebrews 4:15-16 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
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Wonderful post, Rachel…
good lesson for sure!
Great post!
It sounds like the vacation we just came off of! Such peace was found there with out all the stuff!
Peace and Love,
Georigann
Awesome. 🙂
And so very true.
i love the colored chairs and could imagine
colorful people contentedly sitting in them.
when we do our ‘year in review’ with our
kids, the vacation is always at the top of
the list.
Beautifully written! Thanks for sharing!
Oh, you made me feel nostalgic…. I could imagine you all there and identified with your thoughts about all the stuff!!! … amazing how the simple things of life can be so incredibly peaceful…beautiful memories to cherish.
“and piles of sand rest by the front door. Waiting to be swept up. So that “real” life can resume.” Those piles of sand mean that real life has been lived!
So glad you had a great time! (and I totally want some of those chairs!)
Absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. They are mine, too. Slowing down and appreciating what you have. Wish I knew how to locate the “pause” button… Lori
Stopping by from the Crew.:)
Praying!
Hebrews 6:17-20 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
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I am right there with you on this! May the peace you felt on vacation stay with you and seep into your daily life as well 🙂