Back Home

 

 The corner of my grandparents' backyard is overgrown with tree saplings, but behind the branches is a piece of my childhood...

 

This little playhouse is the place where I spent hours at a time, cooking, cleaning, rearranging furniture... imagining. 

When I pushed my way through the brush to peek in, I found it just as we left it when my brother or I last played it, frozen in time.  The little pots that I used to make mudpies were still on the table with leftovers from the last  pretend meal. 

I was simultaneously transported back to my childhood while being vividly reminded of the passage of time.  It tugs at my emotions weeks later as a I post the pictures and when I see my kids play with the little stool that I found in the playhouse and brought back with me.  So I needed to hear from the One who is unchanging...

"God, my shepherd!
I don't need a thing. 
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.
Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure.
You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. 
You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.
Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.
I'm back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life."
                                          Psalm 23 (The Message, emphasis mine)