Trust. Just Trust...

The weather forecast was calling for significant thunderstorms, and I had a Picnic, Paddle, Play, and Singing event planned with whomever showed up from my somewhat last-minute invitation to friends to join me and my younger two offspring at Harrison Bay State Park for what I was sure would be an adventure!  I had intentionally planned this event for sunset as it's one of my new life goals to get on the water regularly for sunset experiences, and, despite the weather forecast, I decided that we'd go, "rain or shine."  After all, isn't one of the trademark characteristics of an adventure that it's not truly "plan-able"?  I happen to believe, in fact, that without an element of uncertainty, there are no adventures.

So, after getting out the door somewhat later than I intended with our picnic packed and my inflatable kayak in the trunk of my van, we made our way from Ringgold, GA toward Harrison Bay State Park.  As the weather gods would have it, we weren't quite to the state line when the sky began spitting water on our windshield.  Undeterred, I pointed toward the ever-darkening horizon and joked with my children that we were headed toward that tiny speck of light in the northeasternmost visible corner of the sky.  And then, using a phrase my daughter regularly tells me when vying for my approval of her latest impromptu scheme which usually involves housing exotic animals, I said, "Trust...Just Trust!"  They looked at me with halfhearted expressions of boredom and disgust, but since I was driving they had little choice but to go along with my insistence that we were on an adventure.

We drove through pouring rain (like that really intense rain that causes some drivers to pull over with their hazard lights on to wait out the deluge) as text after text message came from various grateful friends who decided to bail on this particular adventure due to the storms.  Even when we were about 10 minutes from our destination, there was still significant rain mingled with some thunder and lightning.  Clearly...I was delusional!  And yet...not one to give up easily, and fairly confident that fun can be had even in rainstorms when one is on a mission to have a good time, I continued to hold out for either a short-lived storm, a warm and rainy walk in the woods, or the ease of picnicking under the shelter of a pavilion with the three friends who were still on their way as I continued to tell my kids to "Trust.  Just Trust!"

By some inexplicable bit of magic, as we turned onto the road that would land us at the State Park, the rain stopped and we drove in the dry toward the swimming/picnic areas.  Not entirely certain where we wanted to be, we found ourselves adjacent to a very dilapidated tennis court in a rather secluded area of the park, and we saw a large pavilion ahead that would provide adequate shelter in the event that the storm followed us to our picnic after all.  The winding road led us between two small fields where we suddenly saw FIFTEEN deer just hanging out in the woods.  We were awe-struck, and I decided to simply stop the van on the blacktop road and roll the windows down to enjoy the view.

My daughter the animal-lover began to call the deer like one would a kitten, and to our utter amazement they gently wandered closer to our vehicle.  I confess I was somewhat leery of having so many deer so close, but thankfully they were all does and fawns, so I chose to relax and generously allowed the organic carrots and cucumber from the hummus tray (the one I had lovingly prepared to share with friends) to be used as food for the deer who were, at this point, right outside our car windows.  Quietly and with as little movement as possible my children, exited the vehicle to sit on the side of the road and offer the deer food to eat from our picnic supply.  Kettle chips and veggies were consumed directly from their hands and one of the does even came around to the driver's side window and ate from my offering as well.

Never have I ever seen such domesticated deer willing to lick food from our hands with such ease.  It was 10 minutes of pure magic as we waited for our friends to arrive for the planned Picnic Adventure.  The storm raged all around us, but somehow we were in a tiny oasis of dry even as we continued to hear thunder for the next twenty minutes or so.  After our friends arrived and we parked our cars near the pavilion, we all enjoyed the deer from a distance as we sang a song of thanks, shared some yummy food together, and decided to get on the water after all.

My son and a friend played pickleball at the run-down tennis courts while others of us meandered to a more accessible put-in to paddleboard and kayak as the sun set.  It was THE PERFECT evening adventure and not one I could have possibly ever planned in all my wildest dreams!

I've been thinking since then about this phrase, "Trust.  Just Trust." and have concluded that it pretty well sums up my experience over and over again in this world.  I may not be able to trust that the weather will be what I want or that another person will show up for me in the way that I hope or that the experience I have will always be delightful, but I have learned over and over again that I can trust myself, my intuition, and The Universe to give me exactly what I need to learn, grow, change, and continue becoming more of who I want to be.

Last night's adventure was a reminder that I can indeed "Trust. Just Trust!" that somehow or another all will be well.  My only job is to relax, follow the longings of my heart, and be open to the unfolding of all the good that comes my way as I meander.

It's not an easy path, but for me it's just exactly how I want to live.

What about you?  Where are you practicing releasing control as you "Trust.  Just Trust!" that all will be well?