The Office: Vacation Perspective

Day 17 of the 31 for 21 Challenge

Today's blog is written from the heart of Cathy Harvey, Administrative Assistant 

I took a vacation this month.  It was a real vacation—not the kind where you come home and need a vacation from your vacation. It offered something completely different from my day-to-day routines which made it very restful.

Stepping out of my office world, my husband and I left Wisconsin and flew far away to a land called New Mexico.  Its largest city, Albuquerque, greeted us with clean air and distinctly different scenery that became a respite for my senses.  The soft edges and muted earthy tones of the adobe homes colored in creamy white, tan, brown, or terra cotta capped with clay tiles were a refreshing change from mid-Western dwellings.  Not a brick home in sight. No bugs. No humidity, and no rain—just gentle temperatures in the low 80s during the day with balmy evenings in the 60s. 

To our delight, our visit just happened to be timed with the famous International (Hot Air) Balloon Fiesta which occurs annually for the first two weeks in October.  The balloonists prefer to ascend if the wind is 5 knots or lower.  Unfortunately, the chilly morning we entered the balloon field at 6:30 a.m. hoping for a mass ascension, it was too windy for flight, up as high as 30+ knots.  We were not disappointed, however, as my son assured us we would see them from his backyard located just a mile from the festival grounds - and see them we did!  In the remaining days we were there, balloons drifted colorfully over Albuquerque every day.   Some of the balloons flew so close to his house that we could talk to the balloonists!  “Hellooooo, good morning!”  They’d smile and wave back as the shutterbugs ran around the neighborhood snapping every angle possible, and children raced around on bikes shouting for them to drop their balloon trading cards.  It was quite a sight to see and hear as they filled their balloons with a whoosh of fire to keep them on the rise.

I wondered what the world looked like from their perspective up in the quiet of the magnificent blue skies...

I did not get a chance to see Albuquerque from the perspective of one of the massive balloons, but for my birthday, our son gave my husband and I tickets to take the Tram to the top of the Sandia Mountains.  Wow!  Put that on your “Bucket List” (besides the balloon festival)!  The base of the tram was at 1,000 feet.  God was showing off for us with a beautiful sunset and roses planted at the base.  Then up, up, up for 30 minutes we went over desert foliage, deep crevices and growing mountain shadows.  By the time we reached the summit at 10,000 feet, the sun had fully set and it was pitch dark.  We exited the Tram to step onto a walkway that led to a platform overlooking the city.  Albuquerque looked like it had been blanketed with sparkling gold dust, like those fireworks that burst and dissolve into gold glitter as they fall like a weeping willow.  What a feast for my eyes to pause and take it all in.

The flight down was equally awesome (and a little daunting) with the pitch black contrasting with the city lights.  The city from 10,000 feet was nothing like what we saw close up at ground level.  It was different, but still beautiful from both perspectives, and it reminded me of our work at Shepherds College with the students. 

Our close-up perspective allows us to see the details of their lives.  We see them on day one of Orientation in all their nervous excitement, at times including tears of homesickness.  We see the day-to-day struggle to learn and grow and push their way out of their cocoon, like a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly.  As time, tears, and years mold them, they are also wrapped in the supporting love and patience of their advisors, the faculty and staff.  We get to step back at times and see them shine. 

When the shy student, who at first could not look anyone in the eye when speaking, presents her own PowerPoint in front of a group of city officials who accept her horticulture design to grace the welcome signs to the village, we see the sparkle of achievement.   

When students step into a crowd at Agape fest and share their faith story and pray with strangers, we get a breath-taking glimpse of how high they’ll soar.  

Beyond graduation and into real jobs and independent living gives us another perspective of what all the day-to-day work means.

So whether we are down on the ground “in the trenches” with them or seeing them shine as they fasten their caps and gowns for graduation, we are privileged to have a sparkling perspective of what God can do for those He loves and created for His good purposes.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  -Isaiah 55:9

 “…as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him’...”  -I Corinthians 2:9

 

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.