Time for "Us"

This was such a beautiful day. There is no other way to put it - beautiful is the best description. The temperature was in the upper 70s, there was a nice breeze, and lots of sunshine. Tyler and MacKenzie were off to their dad's for the weekend, so it was just Larry and I. We got up early and went to church, and afterward, Larry suggested that we take my new car out for a little road trip. I can't remember the last time that he and I just got away for an afternoon together.



We drove to Dyersville for lunch at the Country Junction restaurant, which incidently, has the best pie in the entire world! Then we headed to Dubuque to visit the Arboretum. They have a beautiful botanical garden there, and with Larry being a horticulturist, he was in his element. It was apparent that the plants had sustained some early frost damage, but many plants were still blooming. The bees and the butterflies were getting one last sip of nectar before fall days and frosty nights settle in. They have done a lot of work there at the Arboretum. It's hard to believe that it is all done by volunteers. There was even a lady out there today weeding the expansive Hosta beds. She greeted us with a friendly, "Hello! Beautiful day, isn't it?" as we walked by on the trail. I was armed with my digital camera, snapping photos along the way. I'm no Ansel Adams, but I do like to take pictures. One of the new features at the park is a large lagoon filled with Koi. Some of them were the size of a small school bus, and when they saw people at the edge of the water, they would swarm there thinking that food was coming. I imagine that they have been conditioned to that behavior. The Arboretum grounds are slightly rolling, and there are a few steep hills which were a little challenging. We walked through what was left of the Dahlia beds, the Canna Lilies, and the wildflowers. Some of them still hanging on to their blooms, and some even have yet to open. Lastly, passing the rose garden, I saw a peach colored rose. It was brilliant in color, and looked as though it had recently opened to its peak. The rest of the blooms on the plant were dried up already, and the plant was nearly ready for hibernation. Not this bloom though. It was still green around the stem, and the petals were still soft and strong. This rose had yet to succumb to the forces that nature had in mind for it, and it was not ready to give up its one last bloom. As I stood there looking at it and appreciating its beauty, I wondered; If God allows this rose bush to bloom in the fall of its life, then He can help me to make the most of mine.

Today in Bible Study, our pastor reminded me that Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28).

I need to remember that. He will give me rest. He will take the burden of illness from me, and He will work this all for my good.

All of this remembered as I stood and stared at that peach colored rose.



On the way home, Larry drove, and I slept. Larry held my hand all the way home. He hasn't done that in ages.
Maybe he really does still love me after all.