This past Saturday, we all went to Des Moines, Iowa for a church meeting.
It was enjoyable overall and I'm glad we did it. It was our first lengthy trip in our new van so the children were excited to take a trip under these new conditions. The biggest challenge was that we had to make the trip up and back in the same day because John had another speaking engagement Sunday. We were pretty exhausted by the end of the day. But it was good to see friends and even a little family (my brother and Dad were there), and I enjoyed the lesson portions I was able to tune into. ;)
It had been since BC (before children) that I'd been there -- at least 10 years. Amazing. To me, church buildings across the country are familiar and I have fond memories of most of them, often going back to my childhood. Somehow I can be away for years but when I go back it seems as though it was just recently I was there, in a way. It seems natural to be there. Yet at the same time, things change, and people change, and I change too. Ten years can make so little difference from one perspective, and so much from another. Ten years ago I wouldn't have thought I would stand in that building this fall with 5 young children of my own. I wonder what another decade will bring, if the Lord permits the earth to remain that long.
Sad to say, I went to the effort to cart our camera all the way up there and back, but didn't take a single picture all weekend!
It was enjoyable overall and I'm glad we did it. It was our first lengthy trip in our new van so the children were excited to take a trip under these new conditions. The biggest challenge was that we had to make the trip up and back in the same day because John had another speaking engagement Sunday. We were pretty exhausted by the end of the day. But it was good to see friends and even a little family (my brother and Dad were there), and I enjoyed the lesson portions I was able to tune into. ;)
It had been since BC (before children) that I'd been there -- at least 10 years. Amazing. To me, church buildings across the country are familiar and I have fond memories of most of them, often going back to my childhood. Somehow I can be away for years but when I go back it seems as though it was just recently I was there, in a way. It seems natural to be there. Yet at the same time, things change, and people change, and I change too. Ten years can make so little difference from one perspective, and so much from another. Ten years ago I wouldn't have thought I would stand in that building this fall with 5 young children of my own. I wonder what another decade will bring, if the Lord permits the earth to remain that long.
Sad to say, I went to the effort to cart our camera all the way up there and back, but didn't take a single picture all weekend!
chuckling--I didn't take a single picture either! It was good to see you and chat for a few minutes! We were really blessed by the lessons, including those delivered by your hubby--lots of food for thought! Briana said, after John spoke the second time, that she could just go home now b/c her brain was full (four lessons is all it could digest at once, I guess! ha!)
ReplyDeleteI'll second Shonya. We had our camera too, but I was too busy getting to actually visit with people that I didn't get it out. :) It was good to see you and your family as well.
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