Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, and a Word from the Lord

This weekend Kelly and I drove to Bar Harbor, Maine to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park with Kelly's mother Marjorie and Marjorie's husband Bud. We had a great time walking downtown Bar Harbor, eating dinner at the Fish House Grill, and then seeing the highlights of Acadia National Park again: the Visitors Center with the video about the Park, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Cadillac Mountain, and the Jordan Pond House for Popovers with butter and strawberry jam.

Sounds nice, right? Two years ago this week we visited Acadia National Park, and the state of Maine, for the first time. We were with my brother Don and his wife Grayce. They were celebrating milestone birthdays and wanted to visit Maine; they invited us to join them. This has become something we've done together a few times recently: a shared vacation to celebrate one of our birthdays. Previously we've visited Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg, PA.

On that trip to Acadia National Park, Kelly and I agreed that there was much more to see than a single day permitted, and that someday we'd like to return. Remember that for a minute, please.

One year ago this week, we DID return to Maine, though not to Acadia National Park. On this weekend last year, Kelly and I visited Houlton, Maine for the first time to meet with the Pastoral Search Committee at the First Baptist Church of Houlton. We were invited to preach at the nearby New Limerick Free Will Baptist Church to allow the Search Committee to "see me in action" without introducing me to the whole congregation prematurely.

As most who might read this article (if anyone DOES read this article!) already know, the Search Committee recommended us to the congregation, and we returned in October last year (Columbus Day Weekend) to officially candidate. I moved here permanently on January 1, and Kelly arrived permanently in early April.

Let me now circle back to Acadia National Park this weekend. This was now our THIRD visit to Acadia National Park. We still feel the same way as we did two years ago. We've shown the park now to Kelly's brother Mike and his wife Kym, besides Marjorie and Bud. We're eager to explore more of this wonderful Park, and share it with other of our family and friends who come to visit.

Here's the reason for this article, though. As I was looking around yesterday and describing these wonderful places to my in-laws, I suddenly had a thought I had not previously considered. I imagined my conversation with Kelly from the point of view of God our Heavenly Father, listening in on our thoughts. As we talked excitedly about how much we liked this place and how we looked forward to returning "some day" to see it again and see more of it, I thought of God, looking over us lovingly and saying, 

"Oh, I KNEW you would love this place! It's one of My favorites too! And just wait until I show you what I am getting ready to do in your lives! If you think THIS place is awesome, just wait until I show you what's coming next!" 

Of course, I don't know for sure if that's what God said. He didn't say it out loud where you might have overheard it. It's just something quiet He put into my thoughts, the way He most often does when He has something to say to me. But oh, man, when I hear from Him...! How great it is to know that God loves me, personally, and how He does enjoy a good surprise!