Peace On The Mountain

This last weekend was a hard one for me.  We traveled to Twin Falls, Idaho from Laurel, Montana to my uncle Marvin’s funeral.  It was a great service; a great tribute to the life of a great cowboy.  I think he would have been pleased.

Funerals are hard, in fact they just plain suck!   No matter how great the service is, there is so much pain in letting go.  Not only do I have my own pain, but I hate seeing the pain in the face and eyes of those who loved him the most.

My Aunt Leah is such a warm, loving, and gracious person.  In the midst of her grief, she opened her heart and home to all of us “family stragglers” who came from afar.  She gave us food and a place to share memories, and get re- acquainted.  She is definitely one of a kind.  I love her so much!

On the drive home, I was feeling pretty down.  I miss my Uncle Marvin.  I also realized how much I miss living close to my extended family: my Dad and Jean, sister, my Aunts, Uncles, cousins.  We used to live close enough to visit often.  There is a physical distance between so many of us now that makes get-togethers are a rare thing.  My heart was aching on many levels.

It was a beautiful drive home through Idaho’s green, luscious, farm and ranch lands;  as far as you could see, just wide open fields of green.  I was born in Idaho.  I have so many great childhood memories of this state.  My heart was aching to stay.

We got a new camera for Christmas.  I got it out and began taking pictures the rest of the way home.  Despite the fact that I took them out the car window going at a pretty good speed, I think most came out pretty good.

When we got home we went to the store looking for something to eat.  We ran into a young man I used to work with.  His street name was Whiskey. ( You can read about him in my previous post titled, Ice Jam.)  I told him we  just got home from a funeral.  We visited for a minute, then we left.  He followed us out and asked if he could pray for us.  We all joined hands right there in the parking lot, and he prayed a powerful prayer for healing and God’s grace over our lives.  If he reads this, I hope he knows how much that meant to both of us.

I shared that only because it was a turning point in my attitude for this last weekend.  He immediately took my focus off my own feelings and put them where they belonged…towards God.  God is always with us, He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He is a friend who sticketh closer than a brother. He is our Provider and our Comforter.  He is still on the throne and in control….even when we feel out of control.

This morning I was going through some of the pictures I took. This one is in Yellowstone Park.  It has a reflection in it, probably from taking it through the window.  When I saw it, it looked like a path leading up to the mountain.  All I could think of was the verse, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.”  I find peace there.  I hope Uncle Tuff’s family can as well.

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.  Micah 4:2