Taking a break from our normal routine to share a few stories from trips we’ve taken—for all of us missing our usual vacations.
The first time we went to the Finger Lakes in New York, they were having a drought. Tony is a gifted landscape photographer, and planned to shoot the dramatic Taughannock Falls. Only when we got there, it was only a trickle.
The waterfall looked like a leaky faucet.
It had all but dried up. The sight of water dripping down the side of the rock face is deeply embedded in my memory. At the time, it felt like a good metaphor for my life. I had left my job eight months before, and still felt lost. I didn’t know what was next. Perhaps similar to the way many of us feel this year.
For all of us, one or more aspect of our life feels dried up. It could be our jobs or career path. Maybe it’s our social or spiritual life. Though we may live in the same house as them, it’s possible we feel disconnected from our own family members. Many of us are experiencing roadblocks and obstacles we didn’t see coming.
Our lives, our world feels dry.
Lately, there’s been another memory from a different trip we took to the Finger Lakes that I’ve been thinking about. We were there with friends, and spending an afternoon visiting different wineries. And on our last winery stop of the day, we had an experience unlike any we had before.
He collected our money, and then disappeared.
Instead of bellying up to a bar, where a staff member would take us through the wine list, it was the agronomist and owner of the winery we met. After being guided to a table, he came and placed four menus down in front of us. He told us the tasting included five wines, he collected our money, and then disappeared—giving us a chance, we thought, to pick out which wines we wanted to taste.
Then he came back and quickly placed four beautiful, full-sized wine glasses on the table, one in front of each of us. He stepped over to the side of the room where the wine was being kept, reached for a bottle, and before any of us could say a word, started pouring us each a liberal amount for tasting. As he did, he told us he was pouring a 2014 Chardonnay, then he explained:
“I want to have you try some wines that I think you should try first—before I let you tell me what you like.” Then, as he walked away, he said with a smile, “I am not completely rude.”
We and our friends all looked at each other surprised. Then we lifted the glasses to our lips. After just a sip, one of our friends said,
“This one is my favorite.”
If this winery owner was trying to sell us just one bottle of wine, he had done it with our first taste. But, he wasn’t finished. He then moved on to their Rieslings—which are known for being some of the best—if not the best—in the Finger Lakes. And at almost each one, my friend continued to say:
“No, this one is my favorite.”
Each wine he had us try was far better than any we had tasted earlier that day. Not only that, but we began to lose count of how many wines we had tried. The winery owner wasn’t trying to get us drunk, but he was intent on sharing the goodness of his wines. He was generous, and he could be because all the wine was his to share.
Each wine he had us try was far better than any we had tasted earlier that day.
Every now and then, in life, I have these moments. They feel like nudges, waking me up to pay attention to something I am seeing before me. In the middle of this tasting with the winery owner, I had such an experience. As I watched him passionately share his wines with us, it felt as if God spoke to my heart and said:
“This is what I’m like.”
In a world that feels so broken, dry, and leaking with scarcity, God was reminding me that all abundance is His. That in the same way, the winery owner could be hospitable and lavish in his offerings, God has the ability to be the same way with us. In fact, He wants to be.
In the same way, the winery owner could be hospitable and lavish in his offerings, God has the ability to be the same way with us. In fact, He wants to be.
A message that is hard to swallow these days when COVID and everything surrounding it has seemed to cause us so much pain. Only, our broken world does not negate the goodness God still longs to share with us. It doesn’t take away his grace.
The last time Tony and I went to see Taughannock Falls, we walked down to the base of the falls. That day, it was flowing at full force. So much so that if we stood even twenty feet away, we’d get wet.
There are seasons that are hard, dry, and feel impossible to get through. Only if we seek the ultimate Giver of All GOOD things, we will experience His abundance again.
Where is your life feeling dry right now?
Have you ever felt a nudge pointing you to the goodness of God?
Have you too, struggled with finding focus since the Pandemic? Are you having a hard time feeling productive because you feel mentally exhausted? Sign up for my email list today, and receive a free copy of my Six Ways to Find Focus in a Pandemic. It will help you find your footing again.
