Lessons like:
FINDING BEAUTY EVEN WHEN IT'S CLOUDY:
Basically, the entire trip was cold, cloudy, and rainy. We came to see the gorgeous Tetons, you know the ones with the jagged peaks that you see on post cards? Well, for most of the trip the entire mountain range was covered completely in clouds. I did manage to get a few pictures of the mountains trying to peak out from the clouds on one of the less-cloudy days, and it reminded me of the truth that God, just like that majestic mountain range, is always present even when we can't see or feel Him. We just need to trust that He's there and look very hard for glimpses of Him trying to peak through the cloudy areas of our lives.
LEARNING TO JUST BE HELD:
The main reason we went to the Tetons though, was not to see the majestic mountain range, it was to see this lovely lady: Paul's Mom/a.k.a Grandma Jean. It was wonderful to spend so much time with her and to watch her hold Isaiah at every possible moment. Isaiah loved her arms. What a precious reminder that we are God's little children and sometimes we just need to stop and let Him hold us, basking in the peace and love of His embrace.
FAKE IT TIL YOU MAKE IT:
With the poor weather and the various stresses of traveling with small children, I was reminded of the phrase "fake it til you make it." Sometimes, when things don't quite go the way you had planned, you just have to fake a positive attitude and trust that things will get better. Christ calls us "to be joyful at ALL times" and "to be thankful in EVERY circumstance," which are words that have always been very hard for me to follow. I'm a perfectionist, and when things don't go perfectly it's very easy for me to fall into the pit of despair. Sometimes the only way to climb out of that proverbial pit is to fake that you aren't in a pit at all and force yourself to find things to be thankful for. I have found that once I start mentally making a list of all my blessings, my attitude totally becomes more joy-filled.
This group photo below is a great example of that concept. For even though our trip didn't quite go as perfectly as I had planned, this picture is proof that it was still filled with abundant blessings. Sure, the weather was crummy and we didn't get to go hiking or experience the breath-taking scenery of the Grand Tetons, but we were blessed to be with Grandma Jean and Grandpa Dick who spoiled us in every way possible, we got to swim in swimming pools and eat incredible meals, we got to jump on hotel beds and watch T.V., and, above all, we had each other--each imperfect member of our perfectly blessed family! To combine colloquialisms, if you "fake it til you make it," eventually you discover that "you're too blessed to be stressed!"
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