It's been about a month since my last journal in Poland, but it seems like so much more time has gone by than one mere month. From Poland we traveled to several other countries, one of my highlights being Bled, Slovenia. This place was like stepping into the pages of a fairy tale. We camped near this gorgeous clear spring-fed lake, surrounded by mountains and decorated by a small island complete with a white church, bell tower and all. The church is on the cover of Lonely Plantet's guide to Slovenia. While in Bled we walked to one of the gorges in the area, where we watched a fly fisherman cast his line. Past him was a national park with wooden bridges built to walk through the gorge itself. The leaves were a vivid green, the water a deep turquoise, and the sound of the rushing waters made me think of the description of Jesus in Revelation 1. I wandered through in awe, munching on some grapes I had taken along, and missing my family, even though I was in the company of good friends. It reminded me of hiking in Brown County. It's amazing to me the variety of landscape that God has created. While the desert in Jordan has a unique glory--quiet like a reverent silence in a cathedral--the feeling of wonder at being so small in a vast place among giant rocks jutting out of the sand. Such the opposite of this narrow passage, full of foliage, the crashing water filling the air with sound and mist, water drops from the cliffs above falling in slow-motion... Yet there is a sameness in both places. The indescribable beauty and presence of the Creator Himself. He made this whole earth to bring glory to Himself, and it does. But He also gave us this whole earth, like a Dad who lets His kids out the back door into this awesome yard and says, "Go on out, enjoy this place, I made it for you." I don't mean to take the purpose out of life, by saying we play all day, but I don't want life to be the opposite, were we stay inside all day. There's plenty of work to be done in the yard. I think of it as the field Jesus tells the disciples about in Matthew 9:36-38, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harrassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to the disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
On our last day we rented a row boat and cruised out to the little island. It was so good to be on the water again! (Dad, I can't wait to go out on the lake when I get home!! Keep the boat in the water just a little longer...) Saw the church then I had to roll up my pants and sit on the dock with my feet in the water for a few minutes. As we were leaving this wedding party arrived in seveal boats with an accordian player. John and Theresa, I think you should work this into your plans!
|  | 
|
