Just Around the Bend

We were driving to Texas. It was a beautiful day and I was looking forward to some time away. I was participating in a book event with a good friend of mine. The name of the event was Fall Foliage Festival. Needless to say, after last week’s post about me being homesick for fall, I was really looking forward to seeing me some “fall.”



We had been forewarned. The town of Canadian is beautiful, but go just outside of it, and it’s horrible. Terrible. Nothing but desert.



Since I was missing the red and yellow leaves and a cool nip being in the air, I wasn’t too worried. I was there for the Fall Foliage Festival. Not for the desert. We reached the city limit sign. I began to scour the town for those fall colors. I saw bits of color here and there, but it was no comparison to my beloved Wisconsin and it’s plethora of trees. I was sorely disappointed.



I felt let down. I mean the name of the event is Fall Foliage. So, where is the fall foliage?



We continued through town. Upon exiting the town my eyes fell upon a site I had never seen before.



I called to my son, “Jeremiah, look at that!”



We looked out across the land and saw as far as our human eyes would allow. The site was amazing. Except at first we thought what we were seeing was man made. We saw what looked like a bunch of large hills that had their tops cut off.



(photo by Kris Erickson)





Instead, we find out the site before us is called Mesa in Spanish and Portuguese, which translates to “table.” A mesa is a collection of layered rock that has survived erosion because of its strength and durability. The rock around it is usually slate and erodes, leaving a flat-topped hill or small mountain behind. It actually looks like a giant could pull up a chair and sit down to have a meal.



I couldn’t take my eyes off this natural part of creation. I was simply amazed. It was breathtaking. Beautiful in its own right.



Does the view take away my desire to see fall in all its glory? No. But I highly doubt a forest of red, gold and brown will take away the glimpse of eternity I see when I stare for miles at one of the most beautiful sites to behold.



I have learned a lesson in all this. Everywhere I turn, I see God’s glory. Whether it is in the beautiful turning of trees in fall, the ocean at sunset or the mesas in the midst of wide-open spaces, God has something special in store for me where ever I go. All I have to do is trust Him to reveal it all to me. And He will, in His good time. I can’t wait to see what He has in store for me next. Imagine, if I had never left my beautiful trees, I never would have seen the mesas. Instead of mourning what used to be…look forward to what is just around the bend.





Thanks for taking the time to grow with me this Wednesday!

Darlene Shortridge, Author of Until Forever and Forever Blessed

www.darleneshortridge.com

www.BooksByAmanda.com