Oh, man! I am sitting here in my office at home as roofers are tearing the old shake roof away. To say that this is noisy and unnerving falls short of a full description and leaves me tempted to use a zillion additional words to describe the unrest. This is all good. We have wanted to upgrade our roof for the entire 15 years we’ve lived in this house. The time is now upon us and we are grateful for the workers and materials and for a sound roof over our heads as we near the cold, stormy months around the corner.

This summer has been mostly a stay-at-home summer for us, except for a few short trips to see my parents in CA. Last summer was busy and eventful and we had lots of places to go. I was afraid we would pass this whole season without going camping, but we got back yesterday from our first and maybe only camping trip this year.

 I am one of those people who is deeply moved by nature’s beauty. I’ve expressed a longing to take it all in and keep hold of it, not wanting to leave any of it’s glory behind or unappreciated. We had the opportunity to do just that this weekend. Thank You, Lord!

We found a spot in the woods where our closest neighbors (there were only two other camps set up in the whole little valley) ran their generator and we could barely hear it. They couldn’t see us and we couldn’t see them. We were all alone in the peaceful quiet of the trees and sky. As the loud clamoring, crashing, and hammering are above my head at this very moment, I am realizing just what perfect timing our little camping trip was!

We went on some good walks and hiked on the rocks nearby, but my favorite part was the ability to just sit in total silence and soak in the creation all around me. No entertainment needed. I read my Bible as the sun was lighting up the brand new day without having fully risen over the mountain yet.

My other favorite part was the position of our tent window toward the open sky. The moon was so bright both nights we didn’t even need our shiny new lantern.

 I love that being outdoors in the glory of God’s handiwork never grows old to me. I love that I can close my eyes and enjoy the sound of the birds and the breeze blowing the tops of the towering trees, sometimes wondering if that is indeed a breeze that we hear or is there running water in a creek nearby. What a perfect gift He has given.

So I will meditate on our little get-away as the noise on my roof intensifies and remember there’s a season for everything. Even the chaos that is producing the noise has its purpose.