A Little Crazy & Quirky...A Lot Loved & Inspired!

"My [daughter], if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:1-6 (NIV)


Well, as they say, "All good things must come to an end." We loved every minute of the amazing weather in the mountains and didn't see a single bear! We rested. We played. We explored. (Melea even built a little dam in a mountain stream!) We hiked. (Okay, to be honest, I don't really know that you can call the walking I did hiking...but it sounds more adventurous!) We watched movies. We ate...a lot! We enjoyed breathtaking sunsets over the mountains. We window-shopped. We read. We laughed...a lot! What precious memories were made! There was just one thing missing for me.

I couldn't believe that we were in the mountains, the weather was nice and warm, we're nearing the official start of spring...and I hadn't seen a groundhog. Here's where my craziness and quirkiness comes in. I have a little of an obsession with groundhogs. What's really crazy is that if you "Google" the word marmotophile (one who loves groundhogs), I'm the second & third search "results" on the page...one from a comment on my friend Tracie Miles blog, and the other from my "About Me" section here on my blog. Kind of scary, huh? I bet Tracie's pretty frightened that you can find her there! Sorry, Tracie!

Well, we were about to head back home. My oldest daughter offered to drive. I'm a little ashamed to admit that one of my first thoughts was, "Now I won't have to concentrate on the driving, I can look for groundhogs!" I didn't mention it to my girls...even though they humor me greatly in my affections for the little critters. We had ridden about 45 minutes or so and I shouted, "Look!! Two groundhogs!!!" Carrie said, "Yiiiiiiii! Mom, you nearly scared me to death!" They were all a little startled. Evie said, "Mom, you're crazy...but I love you." I said, "God loves me. I knew He would show me. Now I just know that I'll see one more. God always shows me signs of His love in threes!" Sure enough, miles down the road, there was one more bushy groundhog nibbling grasses along the roadside. Ain't God good?

Then I got to thinking about how much time I had spent scouting the roadside, searching for those goofy little "signs of God's love." Immediately God brought to my mind the Scripture from Proverbs 2 (written above) that speaks so richly of searching for "treasures"... and finding ones that we should all be seeking...wisdom, insight, knowledge, and understanding of God, Himself, of His Word, and of His unfathomable love for us. We must spend time. We must look and search...and He will keep His promise. Deuteronomy 4:29 (NIV) says that "If...you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Lord, I pray that my life will show evidence of my search for true treasure...knowledge of You and Your Word. Help me to use my time to seek you with all of my heart and all of my soul! Thank You for Your great love...a love so personal... that brings even silly little delights. Thank You for Your creation and for the boundless joy that we receive because of it. Thank You for mountains and sunsets and spring blossoms and songbirds...and yes, even groundhogs. Thank You for family and laughter and love. Fill us to overflowing with Your love that it may be shared with those You place in our path...so that they may be drawn to the Treasure of You.