When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;
 what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them? (Psalm 8)

Monday morning I was back at the airport – just about 36 hours after I’d landed Saturday night. This time it was a flight to Sarasota to – finally – pick up my parents’ car, the one that had been wrecked just a few days before they moved to North Carolina.

Long story short, my plane was delayed until after the official close of business, so I asked the body shop to meet me at the airport with the car.

I expected the guy to pull up in a grey Impala then have me drive him home. But instead, right there in the loading/unloading “Arrivals” area, “Bubba” pulled up in a flatbed, rolled my parents’ vehicle onto the road, handed me the keys, then drove away! Talk about your curb-to-curb service!

Consequently, and less than 15 minutes after touchdown in Sarasota, I was motoring north in time to make Jacksonville by 10:45. It was my sixth visit to Florida this year, and certainly my shortest to date.

I caught the sunset photo as I passed Brandon, both literally and metaphorically leaving the town behind once again in my rear-view mirror.

All I wanted to do was to get home, and as quickly as possible. I’ve been gone far too much recently.

The bottom line is that Rebekah and I need to be together. Every flight out of Raleigh/Durham was for a good purpose and has been a positive experience – but I seriously pray that I’m done for a while.

Today’s travel left me feeling awed, both by the beauty of this good earth and by what we are able to see when we look with creative eyes. At the same time, it left me looking forward to renewing the perspective of home, and thankful that I have such a rock-solid home with Rebekah, and with God.

There is so much to enjoy, and I am so grateful that I have the eyes, and the spirit, to see God’s grandeur and goodness in every aspect – DEREK