You mount Sausage. Mary mounts Heehaw. You move in a different direction to the one you took before. You glance at Mary wanting to ask questions, but the upward ride between trees makes it impossible. Ahead Mary stops and waits. You join her to look at the distant view of snow-capped mountains. Your eyes adjust like binoculars, to clearly see the beautiful land, both near and far. You’d like to stay, but Mary is taking a narrow trail between the trees. At the end you can see a speck of bright blue, which grows to a turquoise sea, but once out from the trees it’s obviously a lake surrounded by mountains.
On the grassy strip between the trees and narrow sandy beach you sense Mary’s excitement. Heehaw’s walk turns into a fast trot, and Sausage takes up the pace. The only sounds are the thud of hooves and the water lapping the shore. Ahead, on an incline at the bottom of the mountain you spot a building. Nearer it looks like Carpenter’s handiwork, a beach chalet with a veranda in the style similar to his cottage.
The beauty and peace stun you. Mary is on the veranda opening the door even before Sausage shakes himself indicating you alight. Mary calls as she disappears inside, “Come on, time for a swim.” Now you realise you left your rucksack behind. In knowing lakes with surrounding mountains are notoriously cold, you have a good excuse not to swim! The beach chalet is larger than first appears. The open staircase and layout similar to Shepherd’s place, except the balcony and underneath is partitioned off. Mary with kettle in hand, grins at you, and points across to the open door where on a bunk bed is your rucksack – no excuse then!
Read: “…but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time.” Matthew 6:34 (TPT)
Consider: a challenge you have faced. How did you react?