A Picnic in the Snow

We spent much of the day in Montana---my first trip there. Lisa and her family were waiting for us at Three-Mile when we arrived. She had a big truck. We followed her for about 35 minutes to a lot she has overlooking the Yaak River. A neighbor, her boyfriend I think, had built a nice fire down on the lot. Lisa and her sister had made a lot of food for us to cook hot dogs and eat lunch. But Lisa had forgotten the hot dogs, not anything else. She was mortified, but we were fine. In fact, you had made yourself a roast beef sandwich just as we were leaving. You had it in your pocket. Lisa is good company. If you had made one friend while working at the law office, Lisa was a good one. There are no coincidences for Christians, yet I have tried to pass our meeting Lisa off as one. It isn't but I don't yet know why, and maybe I never will. We hope she can come to the sledding and fireworks at Luci and Lee's tomorrow. It would help her to get to know some of the people around here. We would like to see her again, too.

Mike and Joy made dinner. Spaghetti again but with a beautiful salad and delicious garlic bread. You and I had bought more things at Three-Mile on our way home. Mark prayed out the old year and I cried because much of the prayer was for you, and I didn't know if it was making you angry. Mark thanked God for the challenges this year has brought and asked Him to keep you healthy through this coming year. I touched me deeply that he would make this our family's prayer for the last evening of the year. Somehow that prayer has stayed in my mind this evening. God has given us this challenge, this burden to bear, this difficult test. I believe He has made me strong enough for it but I am terribly disappointed in the struggles I have with helping you in the area of faith. I spoke to you at length about the Rob Bell book and you were intrigued. You started to read it but of course you stopped. I want to push you on. I think it is a book that can take you to a place of faith that you'd find palatable.

It is almost midnight and you are just waking from a couple hours of sleep. You usually sleep through NewYear's. Maybe you'll be awake this time. And maybe God will keep you healthy for 2010 so it won't be our last.