A Picnic Table at the Dump

Last year I found out about a most wonderful place, it is the picnic table at the Baytown recycling center. Right there in the middle of a dump complete with a large ramp and huge crane to unload the trucks is a picnic table by the water. When Dena first told me about it I just laughed because only Baytownians would have a picnic table at the dump. Later during the week I had a situation that really upset me and I needed God's peace a plenty! I heard His still small voice in my spirit say, "find your picnic table at the dump." In the midst of all the junk and trash of my life I needed to find that picnic spot and be full of gratitude from the respite of daily life and the onslaught of situations that only God can control. So of course since that had been such a word to me, I had to go see it. So Dena took me to Baytown, she is a native Baytownian, and we got her dad's truck that has the permit to get into the place and off we went. Her mom and dad led the way and I have to tell you I had so much joy right there sitting by the water and viewing really wonderful sites or I could turn and view the dump and all the activity of people bringing their junk to be taken care of. Learned some history that day but more so I had such a visual of gratitude and being thankful. It so impacted me that I did a four week lesson on this in my Sunday School class when I taught. I started out with a Google map of Baytown and each week brought a closer view. I added the link above and since it is my first time to try this, I have no idea if it works or not. But even a year later, I could go to Google map and located the little island that has the dump on it. I had studied the map so much last year that even though I had never spent much time in Baytown I knew street names and what we were passing by just cause of the satellite map I had pondered over for weeks before the trip.

I sit here in my home today at my little picnic table of peace. Grateful I have sick days and grateful for medicine that is helping my back feel much better. I am thankful that I had plenty to choose from in reading material and that I was able to read most of the magazines that have been stacking up over by my chair I read in. I learned a lot about The Great Wall of China today. I didn't even go on Amazon to look over books, but I did get a call from UPS that the four books I ordered last week are in the office. They will just have to sit there till tomorrow. While being home today I had another Fern sighting, but she's not in the water yet, still sitting by the pool. I will report she must have been reading a really good book, cause her foot twitching could have generated enough electricity for a small town. :) I am grateful to have a loving husband who called about every hour checking on me until I encouraged him not to call so much. I needed my rest and sleep. I am thankful that my sleepy friend Lisa would have come across town if I needed anything. I am grateful to God for His unsurpassed love and kindness.