BEYOND

I am back in Texas with 1,000 photos and wonderful stories. One of the photos I have waited so long to get is my first offering.

Upon arrival in Colorado my friend told me that her beloved Izzy was at the vet hospital in very critical condition. My friend's husband was working in Kansas on a shoot, so we were the caregivers. It was obvious that we needed to cancel our cabin reservations for the coming days and stay in Evergreen. Izzy was able to return home in a few days and stayed most of the time in a kennel in the living room for the first few days, so as not to injure herself. She was battling a huge infection, a torn up mouth, and what seemed to be a stroke. Each day would bring progress, and at the time of my departure on Wednesday, she had made great strides due to many prayers and much love, a very skilled and caring vet, and her own will to live.

Because we were 'stuck' on the mountain (in a cabin with a huge picture window that frames pine trees and a plethora of wildlife), I knew I needed to pay attention to what God would show me right there. Every day my walk down to the fence to see Mt. Evans revealed beautiful sunrises, sunsets, and new discoveries of wildflowers that had not been opened the day before.

After a short day trip to Georgetown and Idaho Springs when Dale was back to watch Izzy, we returned to make some homemade peach cobbler. I set up my assembly line, turned on the oven, and began preparing the cobbler. Les yelled at me from the living room, "L'il c, BEAR IN THE FRONT YARD! GET YOUR CAMERA!"

I threw the knife, wiped my hands, and tried to remember where I laid down the camera. I got six pictures before Les scared him off as he was determined to down their bird feeder. He sat up on the hill with a forlorn look on his face. Only four photos were keepers because my hands were shaking , as they continued to do for half an hour after the visit.

The incredible thing was that I really wanted to see the bear that had been coming through their front yard. I slept the first night of Izzy's return home on the couch at the picture window, hoping the motion light would come on and reveal the bear's nocturnal passing. It was good to keep an eye on Izzy in the kennel as well, so I positioned myself for the night watch. He did not come at night, where it would have been difficult to get a good photograph, but in broad daylight at 4:00 in the afternoon, while I was positioned to see him and be able to grab my camera in time to record the event.

I was glad that I had not gotten disappointed that we were missing our trip to somewhere else. I was glad that God had let me be there for my friend while her husband was away at the point of their dear Izzy's health crisis. I was glad that God showed me so many new things each day in the place where I thought I had seen almost everything there was to see. I was glad that I let Him, with great expectancy, be in charge.

After all the years I have gone to Evergreen, I finally got to see a bear in the front yard, and be able to photograph it. I marvel at the gifts He gives us that align with our hearts' desires. They are BEYOND what we can hope and imagine! They come as we wait upon the Lord, for His timing is perfect.

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It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
Eph. 1:11-12