Umbrella

It never fails when I’m sitting in my office and getting ready to leave for lunch or for the end of the day that the bottom falls out and it starts raining a monsoon outside.  I frantically search my area for my umbrella, and as always, it dawns on me that I’ve left it in my car.  How many times has that happened to you, too?

Have you ever been curious and wondered just who invented the umbrella?  I mean seriously!  Why couldn’t I have come up with that million dollar idea?  I could have totally been retired and living the good life right now.  But have you ever curiously wondered where the notion came from? 

To be honest, I hadn’t either until I just started typing up this blog.  I always thought the umbrella was a neat contraption with a weird name.  According to some basic research (thanks, Wikipedia), there are traces of some type of umbrella being used way back in 21 AD, when a similar contraption was first installed on a carriage.  In reading the basic history and overview of the umbrella, I often love the varying ways that an umbrella is often referred to as including: folding canopy, gamps, brolly, bumbershoot and more commonly parasol (which sounds so much more appealing than umbrella, in my opinion).

Nonetheless, aside from its origins and uses throughout history and aside from what you want to refer to it as, aren’t we all grateful for its concept?   An umbrella provides us a small shelter in the time of a rainstorm.  It provides a little protection to at least attempt to keep our heads and upper body mostly dry (unless of course, a gust of wind comes along and flips your umbrella inside out). Umbrellas, however, are not useful for flying as Mary Poppins so often led us to believe.  (Trust me on this, I tried it as a child, jumping off our deck with umbrella in hand.  I flew through the air straight down and collided with the ground, but hey! I tried it, right!?)

While umbrellas can provide us a little protection during a storm, they won’t always last – they can rust, they can break, they can flip inside out.  There’s ultimately only one true shelter in the time of a storm (whether a physical thunderstorm or a personal battle storm that we face ourselves), God is the only shelter that can sustain us and last forever.  He never fails, He never breaks, and He never flips inside out (though, I’m sure sometimes some of us probably drive Him close to doing so), and I bet even He can fly! 

So, next time you utilize your umbrella, instead of humming along to Rihanna’s hit song Umbrella (ella, ella, eh, eh!), take a few moments out of your day to be thankful for your temporary protection during the rainstorm of what you are holding in your hand, but also take time to be thankful for your eternal protection in the One who will never fail you during any type of storm that you may face along life’s journey!

Travel

Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love to travel.  When I was a little tike, my parents would toss me in the car and just drive me around town or down to the coast or anywhere.  I absolutely loved riding in the car, and now ultimately, I love driving a car.  My home state of North Carolina has spoiled me because I am within driving distance of some of the most glorious beaches dotting the Atlantic Ocean and then on the flipside, we are just hours away from the Appalachian, Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains.  Living practically in the middle of both of those environments not only spoils me but blesses me with the opportunity to hop in the car and drive to either location or some of the quaint small towns in the midst of it all. 

While it is often thrilling to travel via the great road, which allows more flexibility and possibilities of seeing new sights, driving in a car is not always the most conducive means for travelling. To be honest, it has always been my dream to either drive down to Wilmington, North Carolina, or else fly out to Barstow, California, and drive the entire length of Interstate 40 across the country!  But the miles and time would be super lengthy. But oh!, the sights one would be able to witness. 

I have been fortunate to have visited twenty-four of our glorious United States and two other countries utilizing a variety of transportation methods.  Each location that I have visited has impacted me in a variety of ways – some leaving a long impression of wanting to move there or return immediately, and other locations leaving the impression of ‘been there, done that’.  

I recently just returned from a trip to Las Vegas, and while there, we decided to take a day trip over to Grand Canyon West.  While Las Vegas was a sight to behold (in reality, it was much, much better than I anticipated and I quite thoroughly enjoyed myself and maybe fell slightly in love with someone better known as Chakotay, ha!), but while Las Vegas was full of color and unique architecture, there are little to no words to describe my thoughts and opinions when our small plane touched down at Grand Canyon West.  Soon after landing in our plane, we boarded a helicopter and flew down into the Grand Canyon before the pilot set us down on the floor of the Grand Canyon, where we later boarded a pontoon boat and sailed down the Colorado River.

Looking at the landscape that surrounded you, it was completely awe inspiring.  I have never seen anything quite like it, and very likely won’t see anything that comes close to comparing ever again.  As we were talking with one of our guides, he informed us that no day is every the same because the way the sun casts it’s shadows and the reflections of colors coming off the canyon walls is ever changing.  The several hours we spent on our tour were some of the best that I’ve ever spent.  We initially were going to go to a few shows in Vegas, but changed our minds and decided to go see the Grand Canyon.  I am thoroughly glad that we did.

If you ever get the opportunity, I would highly recommend going to visit the Grand Canyon.  Sure, the weather may be hot (at times), but the sights that you will see, will be ones that remain with you for a long, long time.  Take a few moments and ponder some places to travel.  Whether it’s local adventures, as there is something new in ever locale, or if it’s a far away adventure, plan it and go!  We only live once, and go explore all that this Earth has to offer while you can, and then when you go, be sure to tell me some of your most favorite adventures.

And, PS to Chakotay, I’m coming back to Las Vegas, so feel free to come visit if you’d like.