My Father's Day blessing for my kids - June 2012

My Father's Day blessing for my kids yesterday:
Many many years ago, almost 400 years ago in fact, three Spencer brothers and one sister crossed the Atlantic from England to settle near what is Boston today with the first wave of the "Great Migration" of 1630. One of those brothers, Gerard Spencer, is the line through which my father came. Gerard's brother, Thomas, was a furniture maker - a trade my father has taken up in retirement. In 1686, just before Thomas died in Hartford, Connecticut - a town he helped establish - he wrote his last will and testament. The last part of the will is what I read to my children around the dinner table on Sunday afternoon, " Finally I leave all my children with the Lord and desire his blessing may be their portion, that they may love and serve Him, and live in love and peace one with another when I shall be gathered to my fathers....." I feel that would have been Bud's last wishes for my kids. I'm so grateful for the godly heritage in my forefathers. I pray that legacy will continue into future generations.

Mountains

Recently I've been going up to church during the week just to be alone for a little while in Bud's office. I go in and check the mail, answer phone messages, tidy up a bit, and just sit in his chair to think, to cry, to pray. I love it there. It's his place, his place to study, to pray, to think, to work. I find comfort there. As I'm there, I'm starting to go through his personal things and bring some of it home now to save. I found one of his posters that he loved. On it is pictured a rust-colored rocky cliff and two men rock climbing on it at dizzying heights. Also inscribed on it are the words, "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2." Bud loved that poster.

It all started back in 1986 when he and I and little Jeremy took a trip to Yosemite National Park in California. While we were there for the week, he took rock climbing classes. I would wheel Jeremy in the stroller to the base of the cliff, look up at my husband way up there hanging only by ropes, and pray! On Saturday his dad came up from San Francisco to climb with him. That was the beginning. He went on to climb in many other places. Also he loved the challenge of hiking mountains. From the Colorado Rockies climbing peaks over 13,000 feet, to the autumn Catskills ablaze with color in every direction, to the blustery heights of Mount Washington. He loved the mountains. I used to ask him why? Why do you do this? It's a lot of effort. It's not safe." And he would say, "Because it's there." Not what my safety-loving heart wanted to hear. I like my feet on solid, low lands!

Seeing that poster again helped me to understand why Bud loved the mountains. They pictured for him his eternal God. Psalm 90:2 says, "Before the mountains were brought forth or before you had formed the earth and world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." The mountains reminded Bud of his own mortality. God was eternal, existed before those mighty mountains He created. The psalmist said he looked to the hills from where his help came. The mountains reminded Bud that God was his help, God was eternal, and His creation of the mountains declares His majesty to our own feeble minds.

Mountains....mentioned many times in the Scriptures. The mountain on which Moses received the ten commandments; the mount of Transfiguration of Jesus; Jerusalem on the mountain; the Mount of Olives on which Jesus prayed before His crucifixion.

The mountains....I'm glad Bud climbed them.