Tonight I spent the better part of an hour going through files of photos from our summer vacation to Germany and Switzerland. Now, don't misunderstand. This is not a yearly trip. We traveled to Germany to celebrate my husband's mother's 80th birthday and to have a family reunion.
But looking through those pictures reminded me of what a wonderful time we had as a family. We walked almost everyday through the pine trees and watched for deer and picked raspberries. And for a few days, we hiked through the Alps. On those days, we would take a gondola up into the mountains and then follow the trails as they wound higher through alpine meadows and revealed one vista after another.
This picture was taken at a glacier near the Jungfrau. 10 years ago, this glacier crept all the way down the valley. If you look at the picture, the glacier would have filled the entire background.
Not any more.
Now it has shrunk, receding up to the mountain peak, and leaving a trail of rocks and debris.
But enough of the eco-lecture.
Walking up to the glacier demanded stamina and nerve. Often we walked a mere foot from a precipitous drop. I was glad my children were older and could be trusted (relatively) to walk leaning into the mountain side. I kept saying, "5 feet between you and next person." I did not want anyone to fall and take some one else along to the bottom of the deep valley.
So now I look at these pictures and flash back to a moment in time when we were surrounded by "the grandeur of God."
No comments:
Post a Comment