Well, one more day and I fly back to England tomorrow. Yesterday afternoon I went with the cousins to sample Lake Geneva the best way. No, not on the overpriced yacht of a (probably) overpaid executive but rather in nothing more than a pair of swim shorts! Just beautiful – the Lake (not the shorts or the figure that occupied them!)

It’s momentarily hard not being able to share the breathtaking beauty of creation with my Annie. How she loved the sun and the water and the cousins! How we loved just sitting huddled together talking about – of all things – heaven. I avoid slipping into that ‘Oh if only Annie could see this!’ state of false sadness. She is with Jesus now and I instead I find myself reflecting not just on how absent of my beautiful Annie, the present beauty of my surroundings are but rather how much greater it would be (and will be) to be with Jesus in paradise. As I sat out in the Lake yesterday and at the top of a mountain this afternoon I just took a moment to pause and take in that daily thought ‘I am one day closer to being with Him with whom my Annie is.’

And coming down the mountain earlier I was thinking how tomorrow evening there will be another descent, back to life in Worcester and without my Annie by my side. June and July are going to be fairly full when I get back with a higher than normal concentration of preaching and speaking engagements with three consecutive weddings for three weekends over June and July and a new series on The Sermon on the Mount at our church plant. I know it probably won’t be long before the joy of this little break becomes a distant memory. But I look forward with joy and with hope because my Good Shepherd goes ahead and with me and I go forward for my King and Lord and with Him.