Beauty in the Desert

There is beauty all around us--sometimes we just have to take the time to find it.

When we think of beauty, we may picture an island in the tropics with crystal clear water, white sandy beaches and swaying palms. Or we might think of a snow-covered landscape with smoke curling above the chimney of a cabin nestled under a canopy of trees next to a winding river. Do we ever think of a hot, dry barren desert as a thing of beauty?

Temperatures in the desert can soar to over 100 degrees during the summer; not very comfortable for those of us who prefer cooler climates and air-conditioning. However, if you venture out early in the morning, before it gets hot, the sights that greet you can be as beautiful as anything on this earth.

"He hath made everything beautiful in His time." Ecclesiastes 3:11

Like Children

"Except ye.... become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3, 4

There is no doubt that my husband and I will get into heaven, if all we have to do is to become as little children. Now, I know that the Bible is referring to something other than just acting like kids, but what if that were all we had to do?

We recently went for a drive down to the Snake River, where we had fun taking photos and tossing rocks into the river. Then we decided to take pictures of us tossing rocks into the river. Then....we decided to take pictures of the splashes made by the rocks we were tossing into the river.

Aaaaah, to be children again!

"Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalm 127:3)

Children: You feed them, change their diapers, wipe their runny noses, tend their skinned knees, and wipe away their tears. Then they grow up, move away from home, go to college, get jobs, get married, and create new families of their own.

The cycle continues, generation after generation, passing down family traditions and keepsakes. And as such, each of us moves into new roles--from children to parents to grandparents. I don't even want to think about being a great-grandparent!

Being a grandparent is an awesome responsibility. It's more than feeding, changing diapers, wiping runny noses--you get the picture. It's sharing family history and teaching values. Sometimes, it's telling stories that even your children never heard (or never listened to)! It's holding up and honoring your children in the eyes of their children. It's respecting the rules of your children's household, now that they are parents with children of their own.

And it's a LOT of fun!