Respite

Adam has had a very busy work schedule and all of us were feeling weary and discouraged by the news.  We decided to head for the hills--or mountains as it were for a Sunday drive.

We took Braeden and Anna with us so we took two cars, Adam's Subaru and Joan.  It was Joan's first time on a dirt road.  I baby her like she isn't a Jeep, but she is, in fact, a Jeep and did fine.

The mountains were beautiful and restorative.  We tried to get to Cascade Springs but every route was closed.  So we drove around the Wasatch back up some very narrow and winding roads.  We got up to where the aspens were just getting their leaves and there were still a (very few) patches of snow.  We were at almost 9000 feet.

When Braeden and Anna were in our car (they're the popular couple so they took turns being with Adam and me and Emma and Mark), we were talking about our feelings of helplessness.  I said something about all the blessings I have been given and what am I even doing?  Anna said, "Well, you are a mother."

I am.  Here's my message to the world:

Braeden found that stick and said, "What a good stick!"  He asked Mark if he still collects good sticks.

Mark kind of smiled at him indulgently because he doesn't still collect sticks and said, "If you turn it upside down it will be a better stick.  You want the biggest part on the bottom."

My boys and their sticks....

(When it was time to leave, Braeden said he didn't want to take it because it was such a good stick and maybe someone had left it there and still wanted it.  I said probably their mom didn't let them take it home.  I said, "Sorry Anna, Braeden and his sticks are up to you now."  Braeden left the stick behind.  He is, you know, 23 now.)

Mark climbed up on a post and appears to be pontificating which is nothing new.  Emma stood at his feet and said, "Here Mark, trust fall.  I'll catch you."

But Mark just leaped down onto the uneven ground like a 17 year old boy.

How I love these four:

Spending time with them is good for my soul.

It is not lost on me how fortunate I am that I live in this impossibly beautiful place where I've always felt safe.  It is not lost on me that I've never been suspected because of the color of my skin and that I have always had opportunities and safety nets.  I never did anything to deserve any of it.

The horrible things happening in our country make me incredibly sad.  I don't understand the violence and destruction people are resorting too.  I don't understand how they can wreck their neighbors' livelihoods. I don't understand that level of hopelessness and fury.  I don't understand.  And I recognize that it's because I've never felt that level of hopelessness and fury that I don't understand.

We talked about it as part of our Come Follow Me discussion.  We talked about iniquity and inequality.  We talked about power and kings.  We talked about who our actual King is.  We talked about what we can do.  (Not a lot, it feels like.)

We decided we can vote.  We can try to be a positive light in our realms of influence and to the people around us.  We can pray.

I reminded them that we don't live in the kingdom of Davis.  We aren't in charge and we don't have to fix everything.  We live in the Kingdom of God.  We have a King and He loves all His children.  We need to follow His commandments and love His children too.

He is at the helm.