Camping Redemption

We were going camping as a family with friends of ours. We were going to leave this morning at 11am.

We did not.

A full hour late, we're finally on the road. Fifteen minutes out and we realize we've forgotten something. Nothing major, so we don't turn around, but I -- holy man that I am -- am furious. We don't have time to do this with two kids. We're barely holding life together right now. We didn't prepare enough in advance. This trip is starting out on the wrong foot. ...the complete wrong foot! Gah!

In other words, I'm "frustrated". Euphamistically speaking, of course.

I'm seething.

And my wife suggests, as she tends to these days, that I pray and ask God to redeem or bless or show His goodness in this apparent bad situation.

"Apparent", mind you. These little hints of "it's not really bad" really get my goat*.

So, I -- holy man that I am -- pray. Kinda. A bit. An angry, faithless prayer. Something like, "Okay, God. I'm angry. This is so bad. Do something good with this if You will because, obviously, You can do something miraculous ... but I'm not counting on it at all. Thanks." That "thanks" was as thankless as you can get.

We stop for lunch at our faviorite cafe in this neck of the woods. The food is great. The sky drips on us a bit. I'm feeling better as we get back on the road. Even almost missing my exit doesn't completely throw me.

But our friends are packing up their tent in the middle of some crazy wind and rain. They're bailing. The weather is not going to get nicer.

So we simply reroute to their house, without backtracking at all, and spend a pleasant evening hanging out with them, making s'mores on their gas firepit, and packing up before the rains arrive there. The kids play together. We get to relax. It's nice. And then we drive home, planning to meet at our house for more hangout time tomorrow.

And that, my friend (looking at you, Future Luke), is just a tiny example of how God can redeem, bless, and show His goodness in an apparent bad situation.

Oh, and the drive home was lovely, too ... with beams of light dancing on the valleys and the foothills dragging their fingers through the clouds.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Father (twice over)

*I much prefer "goad", as it makes more sense to me. But, apparently, it's "goat" ...which may be a misheard "goad" ... we don't know. English. Vote with your usage, friend.