Tomorrow becomes yesterday in a wink.
So a summer passes as a breeze blows in July, here and gone.
Two conferences, another round of COVID, a “mission” trip, and family milestones and accomplishments.
After a writing conference (Blue Ridge Christian Writers) and a teaching conference (Rooted, Colson Center and ACSI), quiet and solitude came as unexpected guests via my third round of COVID (my husband’s fourth). Even so, the timing was perfect for us to recover before I had to leave for two weeks in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland.
We had gone to Northern Ireland and saw a few sights in Ireland five years ago as a celebration of my husband’s retirement. Going to the Emerald Isle, both times I’ve gone, has given me a sense of going home–a sensation I’ve never felt on my way to anywhere else.
It wasn’t a vacation, per se, since my time there included working in a cafe for a Christian effort. I didn’t have a car, so I walked or took the bus to nearby towns. A little store in the village had all I needed for meals, and newspapers with crossword puzzles too difficult for me. A language barrier of sorts within the English language itself.
But oh, the landscapes!
The photo below shows the view from near the front of our building.
Across the way is Ireland. Two countries sharing the same island and culture. The argument over Irish versus English lingers.
My down time included rest at the slower pace of a place that inspired C.S. Lewis to create Narnia. The kindness of the people in the mission and the village, the sound of the water sloshing ashore, the history, the rain, the cool air, sometimes cold by their standards.
Residents expect visitors won’t enjoy the damp, cold weather. I loved it! Maybe it hit 70 degrees Fahrenheit twice during my visit as my hometown endured 90 plus degrees this summer–nineteen times!
When I mentioned how our section of America was suffering through a dry summer, an Irish acquaintance wished he could share their rain with us. Even so, precipitation happened with regularity but was by no means a constant.
One lady asked me where I was from. When I told her Pennsylvania, she said, “That’s a swing state.” News events from America often made the front pages of Irish newspapers during the last two weeks of July.
Like the United States, Irish, North and South, argue about increasing crime, legalized abortion, and immigration.
Protests over immigration in the UK heated up after I left. Northern Ireland had its own demonstration in Belfast. I trust that Rostrevor remained the quiet village celebrating Irish/Gaelic culture as the modern world buzzed around it.
I came home eager to resume my routine, yet hoping to tap the brakes to keep my pace less frenzied.
We’ll see about that.
As a remarkable summer winds down, Wandering Swallow: A Young Girl’s Quest for Freedom is in the hands of her editor. My granddaughter is developing illustrations. My experience with EA Books Publishing has been fabulous.
I head back to the schoolroom for in-service this week and classes next week. A glow of celebration follows the baptism of a granddaughter and a long-sought accomplishment for one of my sons.
Summer has already (thankfully) unwound into cooler nights and more comfortable days. The heat will likely return, but without the endurance, we hope, it had in July and early August.
One season melds into another as life unfolds.
We’ve entered a contentious election cycle. The news of it surrounds our days.
Yet, we can have peace in the promises of God. Even here. Even now.
Tap the brakes on your pace. Listen to the sounds of quiet and life around you.
Our peace is in Him, the only source of peace.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6, NIV~
