Just when I was totally overwhelmed with camping and traveling and putting a camper up and down in the rain and doing it all by myself…along comes God and says, “Here…take a nice nap. And when you wake up, I’ll have something pretty for you to see!”

I awoke yesterday morning to a chilly, gray, wet day that was thankfully not actively raining. I only had to drive through a little bit of drizzle a couple of times. I had my eye out for a coffee shop and was prepared to get a cuppa joe and a pastry when I saw…the sign! Perkins Pancake Shop!!! JUST what the doctor ordered. There is no schedule when you’re camping so I pulled in and sat down away from others. And enjoyed the HECK out of a nice hot breakfast with really GREAT coffee! I gave the waitperson a very nice tip because she was working her tail off. I wrote “God Bless You…have a great day!” on the receipt. It’s the little things.

What a mood lifter! I toodled through the Iowa farmland as the early morning fog was lifting. The windmills reached their arms high, disappearing into the low hanging clouds, slicing through the air to bring much needed electricity a la Mother Nature. The fertile black earth has been furrowed and planted and neat rows of spring green corn is sprouting up everywhere. Herds of black cattle with their babies in tow dotted the fields on either side of the road. The constant hum of the wheels on the road set the backdrop of my silent journey east.

I crossed the Mighty Mississippi at Davenport, Iowa keeping my eyes carefully on the single lane crossing the bridge. It’s “orange cone season” for sure. As I turned south on I-74, I watched the sky growing heavy and dark in the direction I was heading. I often ask Siri multiple questions as I drive. For instance, she can tell me, based on my speed and the local traffic, just how long it should take me to get to my destination. When I asked her what the weather was doing in Galesburg, Illinois, she confirms my suspicions. There was a thunderstorm when I was heading.

Fortunately, the storm was moving northeast while I was moving southeast and I did not have to put the camper up in the rain. I had it set up in no time and settled inside to eat my lunch and stretch out for a nap. I was awakened by the sound of rain on the roof and lay there listening. I love that sound. After a while, the rain stopped and the light outside turned golden. I grabbed my phone and headed down the through the tunnel of trees to the lake where I knew a spectacular sunset was coming. 

All those beautiful clouds reflected the most gorgeous light down across the lake and into my very soul. God reminds us that…even in the darkest of times…there is beauty in His creation. I hold onto His promises in times like these and remember this is not my home. I’m just passing through. 

And with that, I leave you with His handiwork.

Allison Lake Storey Campground – Galesburg, Illinois

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“And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”

Matthew 8:26 ESV