Serendipities

Our eldest son and his family are in the process of moving from Iowa to Tennessee. He has accepted a teaching position at Carson-Newman College in the Physics Department. Moving always has its good points and less than good points. Their move is no different, I’m sure. But this is not about their moving experience. It’s about God’s serendipities with which we are blessed as we sojourn through along life’s paths.

Sean and Melynda closed on the sale of their home in Iowa this past week. They are purchasing a home in Morristown, but will not be closing on it until later this week. Since we are along the route, and about half-way, they are visiting with us for a few days. We were really looking forward to their visit with us. When grandchildren live a long way away, the times you get to share are really special.

They all got here right on schedule Friday evening. Sean and I were downstairs looking at a little basement project I have going on right now. We were talking about options, possibilities, means – you know how it can be when two people who like to do things around their homes get together and talk shop. While we were chatting, there came a real clatter from upstairs. It was the sound of happy voices, happy as in very pleasantly surprised voices. We went upstairs and found out that there were going to be more beds filled, more mouths fed, more visiting to take place. My younger son Ben and his girlfriend ShanShan decided to drop in for the weekend – from Cleveland!

There was a hidden blessing in there unexpected visit. We had talked a few months ago about taking a family vacation this year. Coordinating schedules from Illinois, Iowa, and Ohio can be difficult, but not impossible. We had tentatively planned on getting together in Tennessee if Sean and Melynda got everything worked out with their move. Each of us has timetables of our own that have to be considered. But alas! It wasn’t going to work out. We (Illinois) had planned to be in Tennessee the last weekend of July and into the first of August once we found out when the Iowa son was moving there. Unfortunately, the Ohio son’s schedule didn’t match up. He teaches college classes during the summer and the term ends on August 1. He had to be there to grade the finals and turn in the students’ grades. He was not going to be able to be in Tennessee until the following weekend. But – it’s hard, but try to follow along – Melynda needed to be at a certification camp for Tai Kwon Do that weekend in Missouri. And we (Illinois) need to begin working in the classrooms at school for the opening of our teaching year. It just wasn’t working out at all. Until, Ben (Ohio) decided to just drop by and visit all of us in Illinois.

It has been a whirlwind visit, to be sure, but wonderful nonetheless. On Saturday, we visited the Wildlife Prairie Park with them. More of the animals were out this time than when we were there two weeks ago with Kennedy and her Mom. We walked, we talked, and we enjoyed the afternoon. The day was capped off with a cookout, ice cream desserts, and a couple of bouts with Hillbilly Golf. Melynda and Savannah, Sean and Melynda’s daughter, were the grand champions. The guys came in a great second. But it was also last place – only two teams.

Since we drive over to Bloomington where I preach on Sunday mornings, the boys made arrangements locally. We had a great Sunday dinner together. (If you see the person who invented the crock pot – thank them for us and everyone else who gets to eat on time after a busy Sunday morning.)

The weekend ended, and after a great breakfast of French toast, Ben and ShanShan had to leave for Cleveland. Duncan, Sean and Melynda’s son, enjoyed driving Grandpa’s yard tractor around the yard. His foot just barely got to the brake, so there was no mowing involved even though we had talked about it earlier. He had a great time. Savannah really didn’t want to try her hand at the tractor.

Tomorrow, we will say our goodbyes to our son’s family as they go on to Tennessee. But, there’s more to the story. We will be following them down in a couple of days. We’ll stop and see our church friends in Anderson, IN, surprising many of them for Thursday night’s VBS session. And then it’s on to Tennessee to visit some other good friends for a couple of days before seeing Sean and Melynda again for a couple of days. When we get back home, the classrooms will be calling us to work on them.

Serendipities. Those special happy occasions which fall into our lives from time to time. Actually, they are unexpected blessings from a gracious and loving Father in heaven.