When I was a young girl, my family lived in a small northern Iowa \ntown, of around 350 residents. When you grow up in a small town, you \nfeel like you and your neighbors are almost like family. You know \neverybody and most of what they are up to each day. The homes in my \nhometown were well cared for. Whenever my sisters and I went on bike \nrides through town, we admired the beautiful houses and yards with \ncolorful flower gardens. It all seemed a lot bigger back then. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of our favorite things to do was go on a hike. Small towns\ncan be pretty quiet at times, especially if half of the town kids are away at\ncamp or on vacation. There were times that I was bored with riding bike on the\nsame streets, so I found myself walking the railroad tracks out of town. My\nfriend and I often enjoyed walking out there, just talking and stepping along\nover the railroad ties, one after another. It was hot in the summer, with the\nsun beating down on us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We never took water along\u2014that I remember. Back then, they\ndidn\u2019t sell water in bottles. I recall dipping our hands into the cool stream\nto wet our sun-kissed faces and scoop up water for a drink. The stream ran\nunder the tracks in the spot we referred to as, \u201cthe dredge\u201d. There was a nice\ngrove of trees, and a lovely stream or creek. We felt pretty adventuresome out\nthere. It must\u2019ve only been a mile or two from town, but it seemed like another\nuniverse! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He makes springs pour water into ravines; it flows between the mountains. Psalm 104:10<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I remember how serene it was there, and even as a young child, I \nremember knowing how good it was to be there, under the heavens, hearing\n the birds, and watching them fly back and forth. Bees buzzed among the \nwildflowers, and we watched spiders spinning webs in the weeds. We would\n sit under the tracks in the shady spot by the water and talk, or \nsometimes, just listen. On more than one occasion, the tracks began to \ntremble as a freight train approached. It was both extremely exciting \nand scary as we hid under the tracks! Our mothers would not have \nappreciated knowing we were doing this, but in that day and time, our \nparents did not feel the need to know our whereabouts every minute of \nthe day. Today, this would not be permitted, I am quite certain. It is a\n different mindset, now, and for good reason. It was usually getting \nclose to supper time by the time we walked the long walk home. We ate a \ngood supper and collapsed into our beds! <\/p>\n\n\n\n The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the\nbranches. Psalm 104:12<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now as a grandmother, now, I am trying my best to introduce\nadventures into my grandchildren\u2019s lives. When we spend time at the family\nfarm, it is refreshing to see my little loves running in the wooded areas,\nbuilding forts out of fallen trees, losing all track of time and loving it!\nLife today is so filled with screen time, whether computers, TV, or cell\nphones. We have to really make a conscious effort to limit our own use of these\nelectronics. I\u2019m sure we have all been in a restaurant and witnessed a family\nat a table, out for a meal together, yet all of them are staring at their\nphones and not even sharing this beautiful time. It is a great asset to have a\nphone, but it can also become a substitute for interacting with real people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n My grandchildren have been enjoying looking up the different\nbirds on our feeder. They were so excited that they wrote a story about them!\nChildren sometimes only need a little nudge in the right direction, and then\ntheir love of the wild takes over to become second nature for them. God has\ngiven each one so many special talents and interests. He has created so many\nintricate details in each flower, plant, tree, and organism! It is right to be\namazed at the world around us! I am glad that they have a curiosity about our world\nand I know it is healthy to be outside, using their muscles and their minds to\nfoster a love and respect for the world around them\u2014one that will stay with\nthem forever, and someday, perhaps be shared with their children and\ngrandchildren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For great is your love, higher than the heavens, your\nfaithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and\nlet your glory be over all the earth. Psalm 108:4-5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our world is so different now from when I was growing up. I was\nfree to have my adventures without fear. But I think if you give it some\nthought, and teach the children you know how to have safe adventures, in their\nbackyards, they too, can learn about this beautiful world firsthand, with the\nsun on their faces, and the birds singing around them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With the end of another school year and summer soon upon us, I\nhope you will get outside with your children and grandchildren and take the\ntime to listen for a cardinal\u2019s song, or spot an indigo bunting\u2019s bright blue\nhue. It is amazing to see what grows in wooded areas. There are lovely flowers\nand berries to gaze at. This is also a great time to teach about leaving the\nberries for the birds and to be good stewards of our earth by not tossing our\ntrash there. Make plans to do some carefree rambling, build a tree fort, hang a\ntire swing, or plant a garden. Wade into puddles and dry your feet in the\nsunshine. Reinforce the attitude that this world is a beautiful place filled\nwith miracles and mysteries that God has created for us, because He loves us.\nHave a blessed summer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Connie Clay is currently a\nflorist\/cashier at Gartzke\u2019s in Blue Earth. She and her husband of 38 years,\nDennis, have raised three children and are enjoying spending time with five\ngrandchildren. They look forward to moving to the family farm, expanding God\u2019s\nkingdom, serving God, and studying His Word.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When I was a young girl, my family lived in a small northern Iowa town, of around 350 residents. 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