This morning I took a drive down to my
parents’ place to surprise them for Dad’s birthday and an early Mother’s Day. I knew that the 100 mile garage sale around
Lake Pepin was going to keep Dad busy in the garage, but I wanted to go spend
some time with him. Driving from
Minneapolis, where the grass is beginning to green up, I reached the area
around Hampton and saw the ground covered in snow. The further south and east I traveled, the
deeper the snow! And yet, there were
some bright green patches peeking out periodically along the route. There were many trees along highway 61 that
were broken in the recent snowstorm…their branches could not withstand one more
heavy coating. No one suspected it was
me driving into the yard because so many cars were in and out and many look
alike, so I was able to surprise Dad, then Mom and then their friends, Marge
and Bob. What fun! When I headed back north this afternoon, the
sun had broken through the clouds, speeding the melting snow and warming my car
for the return drive.
Dear Lord, thank
you for the ability to surprise my folks today, for giving me a pleasant and
safe drive and for some quality time singing at the top of my lungs with some
of my favorite music. I thought back to
earlier in the week when I was reminded of the fragility of life and when I
prayed about how often we take “I love you” for granted. Thanks for giving me an opportunity to say it
to my first loves, face to face, today.
Amen.