This last week Jeff and I were in Estes Park, Colorado for the fifteenth International Workshop on Oxide Electronics. Jeff had to go to present a poster on his research, and I tagged along for fun. Needless to say, in order to have that fun I did not attend any part of the workshop except for the meals. Instead I slept in, read books, took walks, went on hikes, soaked in the hot tub, did a tour, and went to museums. The time away was really helpful for me. I feel like God really used the time to give me some space from my grief, and to give me strength to move forward.
As I hiked in Rocky Mountain National Park, amidst the grandeur of incredibly high mountains, pristine lakes, roaring rivers, and golden aspens, I felt God’s amazing care for me in my pain. Throughout this time Jeff and I have continuously felt his care through the love and provision of our community of friends and their support, but this was a different feeling. God directly created the Rockies, the rivers, the waterfalls, the lakes, the trees, the critters, the colors and the scents that comforted me. As I climbed the mountain I was struck by God’s perfect planning. He knew I would need this time and space to heal long before I did. When the IWOE planning committee met two years ago to choose a location, God already knew that I would need this. He knew the benefits before Jeff’s advisors told him he should go. I am so thankful for our time in Estes Park.
Things went well for Jeff too, and he claims that the workshop was very interesting. He got some good feedback on his research and made some important connections, including one that may lead to a collaboration in the future. He came back feeling excited about his work and energized to finish his project.
We didn’t have a chance to celebrate our anniversary this year (five years), as our anniversary occurred within a month of Leah’s birth and I was not up for going anywhere at that point. So we took an extra day in Estes Park to go hiking and sight-seeing together. It was fun to celebrate and just enjoy each other’s company.
As I hiked in Rocky Mountain National Park, amidst the grandeur of incredibly high mountains, pristine lakes, roaring rivers, and golden aspens, I felt God’s amazing care for me in my pain. Throughout this time Jeff and I have continuously felt his care through the love and provision of our community of friends and their support, but this was a different feeling. God directly created the Rockies, the rivers, the waterfalls, the lakes, the trees, the critters, the colors and the scents that comforted me. As I climbed the mountain I was struck by God’s perfect planning. He knew I would need this time and space to heal long before I did. When the IWOE planning committee met two years ago to choose a location, God already knew that I would need this. He knew the benefits before Jeff’s advisors told him he should go. I am so thankful for our time in Estes Park.
Things went well for Jeff too, and he claims that the workshop was very interesting. He got some good feedback on his research and made some important connections, including one that may lead to a collaboration in the future. He came back feeling excited about his work and energized to finish his project.
We didn’t have a chance to celebrate our anniversary this year (five years), as our anniversary occurred within a month of Leah’s birth and I was not up for going anywhere at that point. So we took an extra day in Estes Park to go hiking and sight-seeing together. It was fun to celebrate and just enjoy each other’s company.
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3 comments:
I'm so glad you and Jeff were able to enjoy such a beautiful place. God is good all the time.
I told you it was gorgeous there! I'm really glad you had that time away with Jeff and the Lord. And how smart of you to only attend the workshops for meals! That's my girl!
Amy, I'm so glad you had such a refreshing time.
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