Steve went with his dad, brother, and three other men. He has been so excited to go for quite some time now, and it has always been a dream of his to be able to go on this trip with his father one day.
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| Brett, Steve, and his dad |
Truly life doesn’t get much better for a man than being out in the wilderness…
Away from blackberries, internet, being behind a desk all day
And enjoying the sunshine, the view of the mountains, the smell of fresh uninhabited air
To catch a good fish, watch the sun go down, without being hurried, and no deadline to meet
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| Steve's dad is on the left, not sure who's on the right |
To be part of an adventure, explore the unknown
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| Steve came across this bear on a boat and was only a couple feet away from him- no! |
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| The cabin where they stayed at |
I can only imagine what an incredible time my husband must have had out there! (By the way these pics are not from the internet Steve took them with our camera)
In case you’re wondering how he could go and leave me alone with a 10 month old, let me share why there was never a doubt in my mind that he should go on this trip.
Simply because I know he will come back a changed man. And a much better and happier husband and father!
God changed so much of Steve’s heart (and mine) on our mission trip to Peru in 2007. There was something about being in the amazon jungle and spending time with the Lord that was truly incredible.
Then God called Steve by himself to the Dominican in Sept of 2007. Again Steve came back a changed husband, excited about the future, and confident in himself and the Lord. It was pretty cool to see that change.
So when first told me about the idea of him getting away from the routine of everyday life and going on an adventure on the wilderness- there was never even as much of a hesitation from my part that he should go. Sure I knew it would be difficult for the 10 days and I will write more about that part in my next post (hence ‘the ugly’).
There were changes in my heart as well during these 10 days. I knew I would have to learn to rely on God more than ever, as I am so used to relying on my husband for some many things. It was neat to have this ‘alone’ time with the Lord, and have the extra time with him in prayer and quiet times.
I have a new found appreciation for my husband that I had not had in a while. He is really a ‘hands-on’ type of dad, always helping with giving Jack a bath, cleaning up the dishes, putting him down for the night, etc, etc.
Also I myself had started to become complacent and lazy in our marriage. I was usually so exhausted by the end of the day that I was not making the effort that I should’ve been doing in keeping our marriage new and exciting.
So getting out of the routine (not that there is anything wrong with routine) every now and then it’s wonderful. I am glad that I have a new found appreciation for Steve as a father, and that I’ve had the opportunity to miss him as a husband. Yes I really missed him like I haven’t in about 10 years!
Jack and I had plenty of time to bond like never before. I had been praying for months that if there was anything (fear, busyness) from fully loving Jack that God would work on that. And I believe he has! I missed my little buddy last Monday more than I did when I back to maternity leave at 12 weeks. It was just wonderful!
There were a lot of other things God worked on me which would be too long to share here.
I am grateful Steve came back safe and sound!! Jack's face lit up when he saw his daddy last Monday morning. I will never forget him cuddling in his chest for a few minutes (in baby time, that is like hours for him. he he!)
