A couple of days following Christopher's death, we received a note from Helen Lewis, my 'adopted grandmother'.
Dear Woody and Rick,Helen was a dear friend of my mother and regularly played bridge at my parent's home. One day, while I was home from college, the bridge ladies were at the house so I stopped in to greet them. As I passed through the room where they were playing, Helen embraced my mother and then joked that she was enjoying the time with her 'daughter''. I quipped, "Well, if she is your daughter, then you must be my grandmother". She burst out laughing with the idea that I adopted her. From that point forward, I lovingly referred to her as 'grandmother' and she reciprocated by telling everyone that I was her 'grandson'. That began a fun and wonderful relationship that included Helen walking down the aisle as my 'grandmother' during our wedding. Woody and I were grateful for her thoughtful gift and wanted to honor it. However, Woody was having complications with the pregnancy of our second child, Melissa. So we set the money aside and waited for a better time. I told Woody that, given the opportunity, my preference would be to go to Colorado since I feel close to God when I'm in the mountains.
A very bright idea appeared in my mind today. Since I am your 'grandmother' I feel I have every right to put in my two cents worth of advice to you two wonderful people.
This is it: Please take the enclosed, go away - even if only to a hotel downtown - for a week-end. It would make me very happy. I know it would do you a lot of good.
Yes, I'm a doting grandmother. I love it.Much love, Helen
That wonderful feeling of closeness to God has its roots to when I was 15 years old. At that time, my father was active duty Air Force and he was stationed at Peterson Field AFB just outside of Colorado Springs. The base youth group was visiting a nearby Nazarene church and my sister invited me to tag along. I did. It was there that the Lord called me to a glorious salvation from my life of sin and death. Everything seemed so dramatically different following the evening when I took that step of faith and walked to an altar to repent and turn from my past. The building and the attendants were unfamiliar but the call was assuring and true. Kneeling at the altar, the heavy weight of my sins departed and I felt as though the roof split open and heaven itself poured into me. Immediately an unimaginable peace and joy overwhelmed me. Afterward, the mountains never looked more beautiful. The sky, the stars, the trees, the rivers, the sunrise - everything seemed so new and wonderful. It was as if I had new eyes (I did) and was experiencing everything for the very first time (I was).
A few months following Christopher's death, we were spending time with Greg and Susan Phillips. Greg and Susan are precious friends and true followers of Christ who we've known for many years. During their visit, I asked Greg if he would paint us a painting that would serve as a reminder of our time with Christopher. In particular, I wanted him to paint something that would remind us of our incredible time walking in God's Presence. Greg, a gifted professional artist, graciously agreed and asked what we would like him to paint. I told him of the time of my salvation in Colorado and how I felt so close to God when I went to the mountains. I chuckle now about what I asked him... What an obscure instruction! I didn't give him a photo or clipping and I don't recall providing more direction other than to mention that Woody loves green and had decorated with peach color accessories. Despite my meager instruction, Greg painted this wonderful painting and gave it to us prior to our trip. Full disclosure - I named the painting!
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| In His Presence by Robert Gregory Phillips Copyright © Robert Gregory Phillips, Artist. All rights reserved. |
Knowing that a new baby was coming in the fall, we agreed that the summer offered the last window to get away. Aside from the money that Helen gave us, we had little else for the trip. Flights into Denver and Colorado Springs were outside of our means but I found we could afford to fly to Albuquerque, New Mexico and get a rental car for a week. So I plotted a course from Albuquerque to Colorado. Durango, Colorado was nearby and looked like a good starting place. I also did something I hadn't done before - I didn't plan the trip beyond the first hotel in Durango. I just decided that we would look at a map, pray, find the next destination, and then see what God had in store for us. It was the most amazing trip we have ever taken for beauty, surprises, reliance on God and provision. Following our stay in Durango, we felt Ouray should be our next destination.
We ascended north to Silverton and then onto the 'million dollar highway' as it is locally called. If you have never traveled on US550 north of Durango, put this drive on your short list, particularly the 23 mile drive between Silverton and Ouray. It is one of the most spectacular that I have driven in the United States. As we drove through the mountains I couldn't believe the incredible vistas. I kept swinging my head around to catch as many sights as I could. Note to drivers: this is not a good idea! Here is what I recorded that next morning in my prayer notebook:
The drive here was unbelievable. It took us almost 2 hours to drive a mere 23 miles but it was the most incredible 23 miles I've ever driven. Hardly a soul on the road. I guess they don't know what they're missing. Snow capped mountains everywhere with waterfalls visible from near and far away. "Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and wonderous things which thou knowest not".Woody too was enjoying the mountain scenery but couldn't help but notice how narrow the roads were in spots as well as the long drop offs with few guardrails. After rightfully determining that I was an extremely distracted driver, Woody suggested I turn off the road at the next opportunity so we could safely enjoy the views. I gladly obliged and continued to do so for the remainder of the drive. On the turnout, I inched the car forward so we could get a view of the mountains that were peaking beyond a nearby hill. As we came to a stop and exited the car, the hill now gently sloped away boasting a sea of green conifers. Off in the distance was a range of lightly snow capped peaks. It was one of a hundred spectacular views we would see on this drive.
But this vista was providentially familiar. Could it really be the mountain scene in the painting now gracing my living room wall?
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| An unexpected surprise awaited us on this special trip! |
Artwork courtesy of Robert Gregory Phillips RobertGregoryPhillips.com
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
© Copyright 2016 by Rick Murata. All Rights Reserved.