After a long, hot four hour car ride in bumper-to-bumper traffic – with six people, three dogs and no air conditioning (not to mention mountains of duffel bags, a cooler and bags of groceries) – we arrived at the family house on Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. Pulling into the driveway after nine months away was like walking into the house on a brisk winter day to a crackling fire and the sweet smell of apple pie wafting through the house. Nostalgia filled the air. I always love the first weekend of the summer when there is a sense of newness and anticipation for the summer ahead. No sooner was the car parked beneath the seemingly endless Pine trees and the engine turned off when the dogs jumped out of their ‘nest’ in the back of the car, darted across the yard and down to the lake, oblivious to anything or anyone that might have been obstructing their path. The familiarity of the lake called to them – as if thoughts of home and the the long winter reprieve from the lake melted away, catapulting them into summer mode. Swimming. Playing. Fishing. (yes, for our Golden Retriever Hunter, summer means fishing in the water beneath the dock – all day!)

For the family, the lake is and has always been a place of refuge. A place to unwind after a long week and soak up the sun, reconnect with family and bask in the landscape of God’s incredible beauty – His presence all but tangible. Sitting on the dock early in the summer when many kids are still in school and families are busy with sports and end-of -the-year activities the lake is quiet and serene. It reminds me that silence has a sound. Music to my ears.

The weekend was spent void of work distractions and, for the most part, the lure of social media. It was all about family – grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins – and the knitting together of hearts. At a place where beauty abounds and spirits are lightened there is nothing to do but immerse yourself in shared experiences and to embrace them. It is here that memories are made and etched in our hearts and minds forever.

It is on the dock, where walls melt away, that conversations go to unchartered territories – as if the beauty of the surroundings can make even the most dire circumstance seem less daunting. How can any situation be that bad when shared in such a place? Here, captivated by God’s creation, we cling to HIs promises like a life raft and know that (no matter what) it is well with my soul:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And so we are drawn to the lake … to reconnect with family, to etch memories into our hearts and minds and to feel God’s presence wash over us like a warm summer rain. Here, surrounded by a landscape of rolling mountains, crystal clear water and soaring eagles where the sound of loons calling and water splashing carry me to far off places,I am reminded that it is well with my soul.