Somebody tell Cinderella...

My husband and I used to go to one of the municipal parks every Saturday afternoon to walk through the forests, getting some exercise and having a chance to just be together and relax.  (We had to stop when my synovitis became too much to walk very far.)  At the entrance to where we would drive in, there is a lovely playground, full of marvelous things to climb, to fall off of, to run around on, to whirl on, to exercise on...all spread over a large hilly expanse. (This picture shows only a small part of it.) I would look at that every time we passed...and dream. "Our grandkids would love this! How I wish we could bring them here!"  It looked so empty to me, even when there were other children there.

So when Dan and KC and their kids, came down a little over a week ago, I was so happy when, the very next day, it was possible to bring them out to the park.

Noe (9), Micah (7) and Eli (4) loved it!  And so did I, because my dream had come true!  I sat and watched them expend tremendous amounts of energy, in spite of the high elevation of Quito, just in having so much fun.  On one thing (don't know what it's called), Micah had his mom climb up to the top with him, and told her that the idea was to "get to the top, then try not to fall off!"  A good plan, said KC!

We still have another week-and-a-half or so with them here, (I didn't have time to write a post last week), and are looking forward to enjoying more time together as we prepare to continue our travels around the country to one more special Ecuadorian town (Mindo).  Then we'll have some time here in Quito, before they return to the States, and Micah has already stated that he hopes they can go back to the park!  (Some friends of theirs have come for part of the trip, and he wants to take their kids there, to share the experience.)

But even after they return to the States, the park won't seem empty anymore. It will just be waiting for them, for the next time they come down...hopefully with their cousins (Debbie's children, Liliana and Miriam) to help them have fun!
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With a God like ours, we don't have to "fly over the rainbow", Cinderella!  We don't have to wonder about the "land that I heard of" where dreams can come true.  The psalmist, knowing the loving heart of God, wrote:
                           "All my longings lie open before You, O Lord..." (38:9)
                            "May He give you the desire of your heart..." (20:4)
                       
Our dreams can come true here on Earth, because God is awesome!  Aware of what we need, aware of what we want...aware of what's best for us.  Jesus said, "If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!"  (Matthew 7:11)
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THANK YOU, FATHER, FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS, FOR THOSE GOOD GIFTS!