Ahhh....August Abundance

Every August, there comes a week when I do a slow spin in my kitchen, fighting back panic, because I don't know what to do first. Garden bounty lurks from every corner, threatening to rot if I don't deal with it immediately. I stuff green beans in the fridge for tomorrow, watch the dance of the fruit flies, pull another batch of peaches out of the canner, and wonder if I have time to pick sweet corn for supper.

Ahhh...August abundance. 

All year I look forward to this bounty, this feast of flavors. In February I daydream of meals with sliced tomatoes, fresh peaches, buttery green beans, and salty corn-on-the-cob. I could become a vegetarian in August. I love this month with the ping of sealed jars, a the picnic table laden with ripened tomatoes, and that first slice of fresh peach pie.  

But... I'm tired. I need three extra hours each day. I must wear flipflops in my kitchen lest my toes stick on the grimy floor. 

If all I had to do was keep up with my garden, I'd be fine. My garden is smaller than my mom's garden, and likely smaller than my grandmother's garden. But, as a friend said, "I'm trying to garden and can food like my grandmother, but keep the modern social schedule. And I can't do both."

That day that I did a slow spin in my kitchen? Somehow I had also signed up to take food to the Rescue Mission AND I was scheduled to teach the Ladies Bible study at the detention center. Terrible planning on my part, but this is August, and somehow these crazy conflicts are common. I chop tomatoes and plan a camping weekend. I pick up a bushel of peaches and pick up my daughters' friend to spend the afternoon playing in the creek.

In the middle of the August craziness, I listened to a podcast interview and heard the words "God is the God of infinite abundance." 

Those words have circled my mind as I stirred pots.

I thought of August - this overfilled, overbooked, overladen month. This month of abundance. 

August is crazy because it rained and rained and rained and the garden is lush, and my tomatoes never looked so nice.

August is crazy because I live in a community that values outreach and service, and I love sharing in this community.

August is crazy because my home is full of children who eat food and wear clothes and have needs.

August is crazy because we have friends who offer invitations, laughter, and connection.

August is crazy because I have been given much, so very very much, but I don't always have a perspective of abundance - of God's gift of infinite abundance. I could live in a place of famine, not knowing what I would feed my children. I could live in a place of loneliness, without people to feed, and love. But instead I often feel that I have too much.

So the last few weeks I've tried to quit listening to the lie that August is too much. Because I want, I need, I desire God's abundance. I want to view August abundance as a picture of God's abundance. 

Yes, weeds too thrive in the August rain. And there are hard things in August. I'll always fight to find God's truth, goodness, and beauty because frustration, fears, and pride crop up to consume my time and mind as fast as weeds emerge in my green beans.

I want new eyes to see. I want wisdom to discern the ways I've distorted His abundance. I want courage to choose abundance, even if that means leaving the tomatoes to rot to sit by the creek and journal a gratitude list. Or invite a friend over for conversation, even if they may stick to my kitchen floor.

Because God is a God of infinite abundance.

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

This was mostly written while sitting by the creek watching my girls play with their friends while ignoring my garden and my kitchen floor.

Geocaching: Treasure Hunting in My Hometown

 

This was first published last year in the Hometown edition of Commonplace published by Daughters of Promise.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, my two youngest daughters and I tramped through the woods in our local park. We had visited this park many times for picnics and family gatherings, but until this occasion, I had been unaware of its extensive network of trails. One trail led to an overlook where we viewed our town from a new angle. We discovered a trail which connected to another park, and, running out of stamina, we saved its exploration for a future excursion.

If you had seen the three of us, you’d have noticed that we carried my phone, often checking it for directions. We may have acted like we didn’t know where we were going, for we didn’t—we had never walked this route. According to the Geocache app, a small container was hidden at a specific point, and we were on a mission to find it. As we walked, the app told us if we were traveling in the right direction and how close we were.

As we neared the spot, my girls started searching likely hiding places. Was it in a hollow log? How about those stacked rocks? Sometimes a cache sways on a string from a branch or hides in an abandoned stone foundation. The app tells us what size of container we are looking for, maybe a small cache—like an old mayonnaise jar or a micro one—such as a tiny plastic vial.

Then there is the thrill of discovery. “I found it!” Sometimes the cache contains trinkets, small items that can be traded. Some caches are so tiny that there is only room for a small paper log that we date and sign. We mark on the Geocache app that we found the cache, adding to our score of found caches.

And sometimes we can’t find it. Maybe the undergrowth covered the cache. Maybe the last visitor didn’t replace the box correctly. Or maybe we simply overlooked a cleverly hidden cache. We mark the cache as unfound, hoping to return later with better success.

Geocaching is a huge treasure hunt. All over the world, people have hidden containers in their communities and listed the GPS coordinates at an online site at geocaching.com. To join the fun, all you need is to download the app onto your phone, sign up for a free account, choose a cache, and start the hunt.

Geocaching is an inexpensive hobby. The basic app is free, though you can upgrade to the paid version, which gives access to more caches and a few extra features. Otherwise, all you need is a pair of walking shoes, a pen to sign the log book, and a little time. I love sharing the fun with children, but many adults also enjoy the hobby for their own pleasure. Each cache is listed by difficulty and challenge level. Some caches include puzzles or require searching for more information to figure them out. The first cache was hidden the day after GPS went public in 2000, and today over three million geocaches have been hidden and more are constantly being added.

Often when we go geocaching, I say, “I never knew that was there!” People usually place caches in favorite spots—places they’d like to share with others. We have discovered new-to-us parks, historical monuments, cute alleys, and natural wonders. I’ve lived just outside of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania for over twenty years, but usually I speed by, eyes set on my destination. Geocaching gets me out of the car, walking the streets and poking into corners of my small town. We’ve found caches stuck to stop signs, hidden at the drug store parking lot, and lurking in the flower bed at the borough office. Geocaches are always placed at public places that are open to walkers, so we never have to worry about trespassing.

One of my surprises, when we began geocaching, was the beauty found in local cemeteries. I had never walked in our town’s cemeteries before, but in addition to geocaches, we found huge old trees, fancy gates, and monuments to local residents.

Sometime we’d like to hide our own cache to add to the website. The process doesn’t look too hard, and I have some favorite spots that I think would be fun to introduce to others.

We have often geocached when on vacation, since it is a fun way to explore a new city. On a long road trip, stopping for an hour of geocaching gives us exercise before hitting the road again. Hiking and biking trails are more fun for children when they include geocaches.

But my favorite geocache excursions, though, are Sunday afternoons, rambling around my own hometown.

What are you waiting for? Find a geocache in your hometown.

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