Good Morning, Glory...

For the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end... they are new every morning, new every morning... great is Thy faithfulness, Oh Lord... Great is Thy faithfulness.
We used to sing this song at a retreat and Bible Study center called BASIC, in the Middle-of-Nowhere, Kentucky. Those were fun days with lots of good memories. I met my best friend and sister there, Jessica. A lot of our college friends would go there on Tuesday nights for Bible study with Bob, who was like a dad to us all. We studied Romans with a microscope! Jessica got married there. So did another friend, Sally who married Joe. They used to do the worship together at Basic... Joe on the guitar and Sally changing out the overheads. My soon-to-be husband and I went to a weekend retreat there for married couples (it was an amazing learning experience! Lots of couples who'd been together for decades gladly imparted their best advice to us, and it was fun, because there were only womens' dorms and men's dorms, so it was like a huge sleepover. )

I lived at Basic for a time or two, never more than a month, but it was when I had no place else to go. Those were wonderful, peaceful days. I got to spend a lot of good time with God, and the sweetest retriever ever, a jet black dog named Light. We waded in the creek and day-dreamed deeply.
A bunch of us would sometimes drive up to Basic late at night and watch meteor showers on the hill, or just sit back and stare at the stars... great grape clusters of diamonds in the sky.

I appreciate Bob and Basic so much for so many reasons, but I think it's on my mind this morning because it reminds me of a time when I had more time. Time to reflect, time to meditate, time to swim deeply in the River and float away to my secret hiding place in the Father's heart. I miss that. I miss having woods to wander in and paths to meander down, a great big sky overhead with every passing cloud shimmering with meaning, and every light breeze a caress from Him.
We live in a gorgeous place, with beautiful weather, amazing vistas, incredible views. But what is missing here is solitude. There is no easy or safe place to "lay me down" and soar into the heavens. There are retreat centers, a far cry from Basic, usually crowded with church group after church group. I wonder though, maybe one of them has a special for a woman who just wants to be alone with her God?
...and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD...ex.16:7a