There’s a thunderstorm in the mountains tonight. The clouds roll in so quickly up here…it can be sunny one minute and the next minute:
The past week was a blur of activity as we explored the Smokies. I don’t know how it will be possible to see everything we want to in just a year’s time. At dinner each night when we tell guests where we’ve been many are surprised at the number and range of activities in the area, most of which are free.
There were 2 highlights to my week…and both firsts for me:
1. I went to a decoration day (which deserves its own post)
2. Donna, one of the cooks at the inn, invited me to a revival at her church.
Of course I showed up to the revival. And who did we sit in front of? The sheriff and the local bail bondsman. Donna introduced me to both of them in case I ever get in trouble. (wouldn’t THAT be an awesome post….) So, I’d never been to a revival before….and had no idea what to expect….but I’m always up for anything remotely interesting.
Fact: the revival was overflowing with interesting.
It was led by Bill Saye….who was sent to prison in 1982 for first degree murder….and then completely turned his life around. I pretty much wrote down everything he said in his testimony…including his description of “old fashioned holy ghost preaching.” At the end of the night I was kind of sad that it was over. The revival singing was beautiful and haunting….true mountain church music. As I left a man said to me:
You need to know….that in these mountains…..you are in a place of safety and refuge.
It was strangely profound because I’d just been thinking that moments before he said it. It could have been coincidence or maybe it was God trying to hammer something through to me. This place is a place of refuge. And yes I feel that here.
We stayed up at the inn late tonight so that Boo could play with some new friends. Brett stayed down at the cottage because we’d had a roof leak and he wanted to check his handiwork (almost narrowed down!). Walking home with a small flashlight and jumping over puddles Boo and I weren’t so jumpy as we’d been in the past few weeks. The darkness wasn’t something to be feared so much anymore.
P.S. My little sister Perry went into labor tonight. Please pray for her and her sweet baby…and an easy delivery!
