It’s Sunday evening. Mother’s Day is drawing to a close and so is a roller-coaster week. We’ve experienced euphoric highs and some very scary lows.

For most of us, the week began with a forecast of severe storms, so I went through my usual checklist for readying the storm shelter. We coasted through that first storm pretty well, but the shelter remained stocked and our car stayed in a neighbor’s garage for two more days because another round of storms was making tracks for our area.

On Tuesday, our youngest daughter had a bone scan following an abnormal lab result discovered during a routine visit with her oncologist. And then came the waiting. We were blessed with a quick turn around on the results and even more blessed that the outcome was excellent…no evidence of disease in the bones. That was our really high point. Only hours later, we found ourselves in the storm shelter waiting for the tornado that struck Monett and Aurora to make its way to Clever. Miraculously, it broke apart after doing its mischief in those two towns. So Wednesday we were cautious, then up, then down, and up again. It was dizzying!

On Friday, we attended the event at Aldersgate featuring Ethan and Sara Forhetz where we received a dynamic message that challenged each of to take a closer look at our faith.

Saturday, the Aurora Borealis made an appearance in the Ozarks and, though we couldn’t see it from our home, our kids in the country had an awesome experience staring into the very face of one of God’s many wonders. They shared incredible photos with us.  

By Sunday, we thought we couldn’t possibly handle much more excitement, but we had decided to visit Silver Dollar City, and though I was skeptical of trying this on Mother’s Day, we went. Ken has great memories of hearing Rhonda Vincent when she was very young and just getting her start in the world of Bluegrass music. In fact, his kids played with her younger brother at the various Bluegrass festivals. It’s very questionable that you will get in to one of her shows but we managed to be in the right place at the right time and were ushered to two of only a few remaining seats. None too soon either. The show began momentarily and we needn’t have worried about missing church because we had a good old-fashioned country church type gospel sing.

As the last offering of her show, Rhonda announced that she wanted to have a choir on stage and invited any audience members who wished to join her to come down. I knew Ken wanted to go, but he kept hesitating until I nearly pushed him into the aisle. As he started up the stairs, I saw him with his arm around a lady whom I soon realized was a dear old friend whom we hadn’t seen in a while. They had a great time singing, Ken visited briefly with Rhonda, and old friends got together for a bit of a reunion. It turns out that Kathy’s husband had pushed her into the aisle as well. What are the odds that we would all be there in that building at the same time, that Ken and Kathy would reach those stairs at the same moment and we would all four be treated to a totally unexpected afternoon together. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I don’t think any of the past week’s roller coaster had anything to do with chance. God was with us every moment of every day, during the good and the bad times.

The fun didn’t end there. The four of us went around a few corners to a different venue to hear our own Casey and Kelly Freeland, along with their band, and they surely didn’t disappoint. I hadn’t heard Casey and the Attaboys in a long time but I quickly recalled how truly entertaining they are. We hear them in our own church but it’s fun to see them in a different setting playing and singing the music they all love. Wish we could see them much more often.

Our last stop was on the log cabin porch listening to the Homestead Pickers playing some great gospel and some really fun Bluegrass. What an end to such a beautiful day. The weather was great, I had Mother’s Day wishes from all the kids, we got to see old and dear friends, and heard some of the best music you could ever hope to hear. I don’t know what new adventures may have happened by the time you read this. But one thing I do know, the Lord is the same; yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Our lives may pass through countless twists and turns, we may journey to the deepest valleys and the highest mountaintops. Wherever we travel, whatever circumstances we encounter, He will be right there by our side. Through all of this topsy, turvy week, I have felt His peace around me, tugging me a little closer and bringing me comfort. I pray you have that peace as well.

The Lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need…Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid…my cup overflows with blessings! (Excerpts from the twenty third Psalm)