Even the wilderness and desert will rejoice in those days, the desert will blossom with flowers. —Isaiah 35:1 (tlb)
My friend Dianne travels the world as a flight attendant for a major airline. One day she’s in Rome, dining on exquisite Italian food and shopping for olive oil. The next week she’s in Buenos Aires, visiting museums and enjoying the party atmosphere. When she had her large kitchen totally remodeled, then bought a brand-new convertible, I felt myself turning a little green around the edges. It made me wish I’d worked harder during my peak years so that I, too, could afford such trips and luxuries.
Then one day I was kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River with Dianne and two other friends. The water was so crystal clear we could see fish swimming all around us. An array of birds and turtles entertained us as we rode with the swift current, hardly having to paddle at all. Suddenly, a large eight-foot-long manatee swam up alongside our kayak and stayed with us for half an hour. As I reached down into the water to pet the magnificent creature, I understood that I had all the riches and perks and loveliness that life has to offer right there in that rented kayak.
