I Commend this to You

This morning my body awoke before my alarm. This only seems to happen from anxiety/ stress/ excitement. God knows what I need. I figured I should get up, get some more of Him. I began with a devotional reading from P.D. Tripp's A Shelter in the Time of Storm. The morning's reading was from Psalm 27:13, "I believe I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!" This verse, followed by "Wait for the LORD. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait for the LORD!" are two very special verses for me. They remind me of many things, one being a tender moment in Uganda, last July 25th. I puled out my journal from that day. Here is goes.

Saturday, July 25th, 9:45 p.m., A Blessed 24 Hours

This morning I awoke to a hazy, misty valley outdoors. The air was cool and damp. I snuggled deeper under my down comforter of pure, white linens and awoke slowly to animals moving, munching, birds awaking, chirping. At 8:30, hot coffee and a scone arrived. I then sat out on the back patio to read Scripture, pray, sing psalms to the Lord. At 9:45 we congregated for breakfast (Larry, Mary, Terrill and Amber)...From 11:30-1, I lounged in my heavenly hut on the back patio-yogo, listening to instrumental music, weeping, reading, singing to the animals, soaking my feet and shaving my legs atop a huge sink top while watching animals loll by. I wept, lying down on the thick wooden patio. I don't know that I have ever sobbed for love lost before. God softly reminded me of the gentleness he care for me with, the pain he guards me from, and promises yet to come. And I felt close to Him... At 1:30 we had a yummy lunch. From 2-2:45 I had my last luxurious bath. Then, at 3:15 we started back to Kaabong. I listened to Angus & Julia Stone. Africa danced to the music. At one moment, two tall, slender women, water jugs perched perfectly atop their heads, simultaneously turned to see us pass. Their slow, graceful dance as we traveled by on the burnt orange dust was captivating. Sigh...my life is good. My soul yearns to return here.

Above are a few photos from the lodge where we stayed, the porch where I read Psalm 27 and sang, the sunset of our last safari in the Kidepo Valley. God is good. He is most certainly good to me.