For Everything There is a Season

It is autumn and we are home. Two of my most favorite places to be. It is not where I had planned to be or even wanted to be at this time but nonetheless, I am here. I am finding great comfort being here in this season and savoring the moments as the sun warms my bones and my body embraces the comfort this brings. The nip in the night air cools and refreshes me  and the breeze rustling through the trees are a lullaby to my heart. I find the combination of a cardigan sweater and the cool air exhilarating as I walk in the early mornings once again. The days have an unhurried feel to them  as if they don’t want to miss a moment of  beauty as the summer changes to autumn. Everything growing seems to slow down as it prepares for rest in this  season of change and stillness.

I have begun to find solace here.

I am moving beyond the heartbreak of our recent travels. A year of planning went into this sabbatical as we would walk along the Portuguese coastline indulging in a beauty that is difficult to put into words. The smell of the sea, the deep aroma of the rich earth and the breathtaking  views of the countryside is what I  had longed and planned for. Experiencing the culture and meeting people along the way who will enrich our lives and then, the very best part, meeting up with our dearest friends to share in this adventure was to be my dream come true. This is the travel that defines me best and my heart had dreamed of  this trip during the months Tom was undergoing chemotherapy. To once again walk through the countries I have come to know and love was my hearts desire. We were ready to embark on this adventure. I had The Way memorized. Heartbreak comes the moment we are asked to surrender something and cannot. I had struggled with the surrender.

Tom became ill when we landed in Germany. Fever, chills, malaise and then pain in his foot. We had hoped it was a temporary illness that soon would be over but quickly knew it would not be. Within twenty-four hours of landing we were in the Emergency Department of Langstuhl Army Hospital and then  admitted and scheduled for surgery the next day. It all happened so quickly. I felt assaulted with so many emotions along with numerous decisions, fears, and an aloneness and the fatigue of travel all at once. It is much easier at this end of the journey to revel in the blessings that were in store for us during this time. Tom had excellent care and continues to be healing well. I had a lovely place to stay that was walking distance to the hospital. We have friends in the area who took good care of us. I met a lovely woman at the hospital who befriended us and even took me to the pumpkin festival one day so I could see a bit of Germany. We were the recipients of kindness beyond measure. And, kindness is always a saving grace.

If solace is the place where heartache goes to mend and rehabilitate then I am in the right place. Always thanking God for caring for us during this time in such an exquisite way. Working in my garden, long walks and sitting outside just to watch the humming birds get a drink of water fills my soul these days. We have a road ahead of us for healing and restoration but I am very hopeful. This season will pass I and will be ready for the next.

Autumn reminds me of the beauty of letting go. I am embracing this and then hopeful for the next season to fill me once again.

You are loved…