Thanks for showing up for Part 2! If you haven't read Weekend Trip to Lawrenceburg--Part 1, hop on over there and do that now. Also, I forgot to post the link to The Amish, one of my favorite documentaries from American Experience. That film and my reaction to it deserve another blog post to themselves. Maybe I'll do that someday. But for now, we are finishing up our weekend overnight in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.
That Sunday morning we woke earlier than I'd like. Oh well. (Someday, maybe I'll live with my granddaughter and she'll let me sleep in.) It is the way to make the most of your hours though. Eric is an early riser, ALWAYS.
We got dressed, ate the continental breakfast, packed up, checked out, and THEN..... we had nothing to do.
Sunday in a small southern town=everybody is at church, sleeping off the night before, or at Wal-Mart. As we drove down the highway, looking and thinking, we noticed that the restaurants were crowded. I guess everyone was giving mom the morning off.
There was one place that we had not been yet and wanted to see so we headed that way. The David Crockett State Park. Eric and I really like state and federal parks. They are one thing that I love for my tax dollars to go to. The park entrance is on the highway and it was on our way home. How convenient!
The park was SO BEAUTIFUL.
We drove through it once to see what we could see. Shoal creek runs through the park. The covered bridge was picturesque (but I don't have any pictures of it.) There is a restaurant on the grounds that came highly recommended by the clerk at the Inn. It was busy on that Mother's day midmorn. I'm guessing brunch for mom. The camp sites bustled with activity. There was a beautiful lake with new cabins on the waterfront and a large dock from which a group of children was fishing.
We saw several trails but didn't stop until we saw the one that said "waterfall". I'm a sucker for a waterfall. I had not planned on hiking, just shopping and being lazy. Thankfully, I had my Northface base camp ballet shoes. (No ankle support, but but much more comfortable for walking than a pair of flip flops.) So without knowing how long the trail was, with no map, provisions, or proper footwear, we set off. That's just the kind of hikers we are.
I did grab my bible though. I had felt God's presence closely the whole weekend with everything that we did. It was my turn to try and feebly return the blessings God had sent to us. So hand in hand, we set off down a hill.
Eric says, "You know we have to climb back up, right?"
Such a sport. I smile and urge him on.
The sun shown brightly, the birds were chirping, and I could hear the water in the distance. Pretty soon we saw this through the trees:
It was Shoal Creek, running along beside us. The further we walked the more the water roared. All of the sudden we left the veil of the trees for this:
And while I was admiring this, Eric said, "Come over here, Anna."
It was such a short walk. We didn't even have to work too hard for this!
Well, I just found a spot and made camp. As much of a camp that one can without anything but the clothes on their back, a bottle of water and a Bible. We sat there in the warmth of the sunshine with a gentle breeze caressing us. He was there, all around us beaming His love onto us.
I was so thankful for all that God had given us in these past hours. Now, He was showing out. He took us here to take our breath away. I know that there are more spectacular falls on the planet. I even realized after the first few minutes that some of this one was man-made. But it didn't matter. His glory shone so beautifully that morning, He could have made a dried-up ditch move me to be in awe of Him.
Ezekiel 43:2 says, "Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel appeared from the east. The sound of his coming was like the roar of rushing waters, and the whole landscape shone with his glory."
Psalm 19:1-4.
"The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
2
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.[a]
4
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world."
If there was any way I could tell you all the things that have come into mine and Eric's lives in the last six months, you would be able to know the significance and blessing wrapped up in these moments sitting on a rock in a state park in Tennessee.
It was a perfect end to our time ALONE (without children and grannies) in Lawrenceburg. We drove home "full up" with each other, and the Holy Spirit. I was ready to see my brood and check on Mama and Granny. So homeward bound, we went.
We were renewed to face the coming week. Oh what a week it was! Did I mention I slid down a few feet of that waterfall trail on my backside on the way back to our car? It was God. He wanted to remind me, "You just go on holding My hand, Anna. You are going to need Me."
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