FUN in the Most Unexpected Place

Psalm 36:5-7
“Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.  Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains…  You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.  How precious is your unfailing love.”

Trying to go to sleep on a cold early March night, I found myself having a pity party.   It was day 4 of my husband’s golf trip and I found myself wishing I was on a girls trip.  Soon, I found myself complaining,  “All I do is work.   I never have that kind of fun with any of my girlfriends.”

Dismissing these thoughts,  I asked the Lord to forgive my complaining.  I’m a blessed woman.  I then told myself to, “Shut up and go to sleep.”

A month in a half later, again trying to fall asleep, I found myself in a panic.  It was the night before a 7am flight to Wyoming.  I would be away from my family for what felt like an eternity.  After a bad flying experience many years ago, I hate flying.  I would be going through two airports, which meant 2 different take-offs and landings.  Would I come home to my family or would the plane crash?  Would my host be nice or would she be weird?  And if she’s weird, I’ve got to spend 5 days with her.   “Why have I said yes to this?  At what point did I think this would be a good idea,” I thought to myself.  My thoughts were running wild.

When suddenly, I heard the familiar sound of a quiet, still voice in my heart.

It said,

“We’re getting ready to have some fun…”

A smile came across my face.  I remembered the night from the month prior.   And now, in my moment of panic, peace came.  Jesus seemed to be answering my prayer in the most unexpected way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After two of the smoothest flights, we landed in beautiful Jackson Hole…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we were greeted by one of the nicest, sweetest women I’ve ever met.  Her name was Corrine.  Corrine, what I would soon learn, is a quintessential western woman.  She’s  remarkable.  She’s tough.  She’s feminine.  She’s smart.  She was beyond anything I could have asked for in prayer.  So sweet.  So accommodating.  So passionate about her God.  Passionate about politics as well.  And my favorite, she tells it like it is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She spent an entire day showing us around the Grand Teton National Park in Jackson Hole.  Pictures do not do the Grand Tetons justice.  They’re overwhelmingly beautiful.  Scriptures about God creating these beautiful mountains flooded my mind.  His creation overwhelms me.

The above chapel is called the Chapel of Transfiguration.  What a view from the pews of this chapel.   But once Corrine prayed for Kelly and I inside this chapel, I knew that she was one of my people.  A kinship that only sisters in Christ share.  Very sweet of the Lord.

In North Carolina, we think we have unique wild life in our forests.  (And we do.)  But in Wyoming, you’ll see:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following a day of sight seeing, we traveled 70+ miles to a township called Pinedale.  On this trip, we learned that it’s nothing for a person to drive 100 miles to the closest grocery store.  In fact, you’re considered a neighbor if you’re within 100 miles.  (Yep, you read it right – 100 miles to the nearest grocery.  Talk about having to be organized.  No such thing as a quick run to the grocery store because you forgot the soy sauce.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Kathy.  She ordered the Bible study, Intimacy with God,  following the TLC Show last year.  That’s how we got to go to Wyoming.  Learned this at lunch with Kathy this particular day.

When it was time for the conference to begin that Friday night – fear tried to rear it’s ugly head.  The more I learned about the women of the west, the more I felt completely insufficient.   How could they relate to my illustrations or Biblical applications?  We’re so different from each other.  These women are feminine, but they’re a different kind of tough.  They’re rugged tough.  They’re self-reliant; self-sufficient.  They’re different from any woman I know here in the South.  I felt like I was in a Hallmark movie called, City Girl Goes West. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But I soon learned my fears were baseless.  Not only were these women completely wonderful but I learned something I hope I’ll never forget.  Regardless if you’re a northern girl, a southern girl or a western girl, we’re all very similar.

• We all want to be loved and to give love
• We all deal with insecurities and fears
• We all want our lives to matter
• We all want to feel safe and secure
• And if married with children, we all deal with the same marriage/parenting issues.

Most importantly, only a personal, thriving relationship with Jesus can answer these deeply held needs.

Despite having to speak Saturday morning through a migraine due to altitude sickness, God seemed to use the message to feed the ladies.  (Which by the way, several had traveled three and half hours.)  When I seemed shocked, they answered by saying, “We’re starving for TRUTH here.  Bible teaching churches a far and few between.”  

What a gift I take for granted in North Carolina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before leaving on Sunday, Kelly and I thought we’d spend the day in Jackson Hole walking around the village.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But other plans prevailed.  Kelly cut her head on a rock.  (Long story).  The lady at the convenient store was kind enough to drive us to the hospital.  Six stiches later…

We finally arriving home at RDU around 11:30pm and sent this thank you pic to Corrine.

It was the trip of a lifetime.  One I’ll never forget.  I pray for the opportunity to go again.

And guess what?  That still, small voice was right – Kelly and I had fun!  What a personal God who cares about the smallest detail of our lives.