Branson!?
“Do not conform the to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2)
My family and I recently returned from a week-long vacation where we road-tripped down to Branson, Missouri. As I reflect on our trip, the three words that keep coming to mind are the well know dictum “God, family, country”.
God - This was my first trip to Branson, but if you’ve been there you know that you can’t throw a stone and not hit a church or a billboard proclaiming the love and grace of God. Beyond that though, the breathtaking beauty of that part of the country with its lush greenery and gently (and sometimes not so gently) rolling hills, is a more subtle testament to the many wonders of God’s creation and how they reflect God’s glory. We took plenty of opportunities to enjoy the awesome scenery from below on our daily walks and from above during our zip-lining excursion!
Family – I realize this one may be obvious since I said above that this was a family trip. But what made this trip more special than the myriad of other family vacations we’ve taken, is that this was the first one since my oldest son got married and made us a family of 6. We played a road trip game during the drive, we created a family vacation music playlist that everyone added their favorite songs to, and I even fell prone to a bit of nostalgia and resurrected a road/plane trip family tradition that I kept when my kids were younger called “travel treasures”. These travel treasures were new, small, inexpensive toys or craft items which they would open one per hour that would (hopefully) keep them quiet and occupied during these long trips. They were a win for mom and dad and a win for the kids! It was so fun to introduce this tradition to my daughter-in-law and my now big kids had a great time coloring, swatting each other with fake rubber snakes and molding Play-Doh into whatever their creative minds conceived. So many wonderful family memories were made both on the drive and during our time in Branson!
Country – Not only are flags regular fixtures outside businesses and homes in this small town of about 11,000 people, but the reverence and support for veterans that have fought for our freedom are prevalent everywhere. Both shows we went to asked veterans to stand-up to be recognized with a round of applause and a word of thanks, and each show concluded with a patriotic song. In the tumultuous political environment that we find ourselves in right now, it was so refreshing to be reminded that we are all Americans, in this together, and one of the purest acts of patriotism is redoubling our efforts at being respectful, compassionate, and decent in our everyday lives.
I realize that this blog sounded a lot like a travel blog for Branson, so thank you for bearing with me. Our family trip to Branson was truly a place of reconnection – reconnection to God, reconnection to each other, and reconnection to this great country.
Gracious God, thank you for the beauty and wonder of your creation. May we always make time to enjoy it. Be with our families and be with this nation as we live each day in community together to your glory. Amen.