Not Just a Pile of Rocks!

In the Old Testament the people of God would often create monuments out of a stack of rocks, as reminders of where God met them.

Rocks stir memories of God's grace for me too.

Thus far, today has been such a lovely day and rocks helped me to stop to thank Papa.

When I was a small girl my family would make infrequent trips to visit my grandmother.
During those trips I would watch for the sign that we were getting close.

The sign was along the Saw Mill River Parkway.

In some areas a lot of blasting was done to facilitate the building of that road.
Blasting of rock.

The remnants of those rocks rise up on both sides of the roadway.

That's the sign!

Joy would rise up in me at the first glimpse of the jagged, gray walls.

My grandma loved me. 
Unconditionally. 
I was eager to be enveloped by this loving woman who knew how to hug!

I will let you in on a little secret.  One of my wonderful friends, who is a little older than me, hugs like my grandma.  It is so tempting to tell her how her hugs stir such sweet memories, but I fear she might not like being compared to my grandmother!

Fast forward to this morning.
While driving Ray to the gym I came to a stop sign.  Usually I am intent upon finding a gap in the traffic and never notice anything else. 
However, today I happen to look across the street and took in the scene.

Rocks.
Jagged, gray rocks greeted me.

And with the sight came the wonderful memory of visiting my grandmother.
Papa delights in bringing a smile to our hearts!
And He did just that for me.

My thoughts expanded to embrace and rejoice over the fact that my dear, baby sister was actually visiting me!
This is no small thing.  It is the first overnight at my home that we have had as adults.
And we have been adults for quite a while!

With that thought came the memory of her coming home from the hospital for the first time.
I was eight years old.
She was placed in my arms first thing and since then she has been my baby.

We had a lovely visit.  Sitting up past midnight, sharing our thoughts and enjoying the alone time was such a gift.

A leisurely breakfast and a brief shopping trip finished our time together, for now, but I hold close in my heart the treasure of this gift.

If I were to gather rocks to build a monument of this serendipity that Papa has allowed, I would need quite a few!