Old Faithful, Forever Faithful!

Keep reading for one of many Life Lessons from the Road…

One thing I was looking forward to on this Midlife Road Trip was driving to and through Yellowstone park with Jessie Gunderson. I met Jessie online less than a year ago when she found my blog and commented. I commented back and we soon realized we had a lot in common (homeschooling moms and both of us trying to write and raise kids…three boys and a girl) though we were ten years apart and practically polar opposites in that she was a whole lot of country (farm, horses, chicken and pigs included) and I was a born and bred girl from the New York suburbs. Yet, we clicked. Some how across the miles and cyberspace we got each other!

So meeting her in Denver and then getting to drive with her through Yellowstone was one of the highlights of my trip. We enjoyed the drive getting to know each other better and really solidified our friendship. The drive through Wyoming was breathtaking with the snow capped mountains and Jessie has most of it documented on her camera. Go here for the breathtaking shots! But we almost missed our chance of seeing Old Faithful in all of it’s glory.

We arrived at the geyser shortly after it had already “blown.” Not many people were around the viewing area and those that were looked at it for a while, heard rumors that it wouldn’t spout for another 90 minutes, and then reluctantly went on their way. Jessie and I snapped a few photos and were ready to jump in the car and move on. We had a long day of driving ahead of us, but I decided to buy some trinkets from the gift store.

Call it indecision or divine intervention, it took me about an hour to decide on four different rustic looking bracelets for my kiddos. We decided to go back to Old Faithful since it was only 20 -30 minutes before it would blow. When we got there the seats in front of the geyser were packed all around the huge viewing area. It was standing room only. So we stood and waited and chatted and watched and Ohhed and Awwwed when a little water spurted after 20 minutes. Could this be it? We all raised our cameras, I pressed play on my video. Old Faithful settled down. False alarm!

This scenario played out every few minutes, but nothing more than a little spurt. Was this what we had waited for?

Thoughts of leaving started to creep in. We’ve already wasted so much time, could we chance staying and being disappointed. But that little voice inside (and the park ranger’s) reminded us that Old Faithful got it’s name for a reason. He WAS faithful! And though it was ten minutes later than originally projected, Old Faithful started to cough a little more water until he was blowing his water to a huge, magnificent height! It was glorious and lasted long enough for us to snap multiple pictures. I’m glad we waited and that we didn’t miss it!

As I reminisce on the event, I can’t help wondering what if we had grown impatient and left too soon? What if the little few spouts of water were all we thought we were going to get? What if we had come all that way and missed all Old Faith had to offer?

And it makes me think of my walk with God.

What if I grow impatient and give up too soon on the blessings He has for me? What if I can’t see or understand all that’s going on beneath the surface? What if I am satisfied with the little things God has for me and settle, believing that’s all He has to offer.

What if I walk away before His outpouring hits me?

What if?

Just like waiting for Old Faithful, I’d miss God’s glory and fullness for my life if I walked away impatient or thinking the little spurts were all God had for me.

But God is Forever Faithful and his blessings are richer, higher, wider and sweeter than I can ever imagine.

And if I wait on Him, I won’t have to! I can experience it for myself!