The water is calm, with ripples dancing across the surface of the sun-glistened lake.  A welcoming breeze flows through the tall trees and kisses my face.  I breathe deeply.  The wind cleanses away the pain and the sun hugs me with its warmth.  I smile.  In this moment, here at a cabin at the lake, time stands still and I am overwhelmed as I reflect on the passage of time.  No demands, no stress, just silence. My soul longs to be in this place – the appeal is palpable.

Suspended by the same rugged hammock as years past, I drink in the view around me – the same lake, the same breeze, caressed prior generations.  But I am here now – alone.  I soak in the sadness over all that has transpired and robbed me of my innocence, clinging to melancholic memories as if letting them go somehow erases the good portion of the memories I used to cherish.

Being in this unchanging scenery, I am at once comforted and disconsoled; so much change evident in my life, but my surroundings remain the same.  Provoked to dwell on the reality of my life, I am at peace that God is sovereign over it all.  I bask in the confidence that God already knows the end.  The same God who creates the breeze and sun continually for our enjoyment and sustenance – He is unchanging.  There is grace for each moment under the sun, but now, for just a brief moment I am here, grateful to be surrounded by such beauty, in awe of my Creator.