Day Trip: New York City

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  ~Isaiah 55:8-9

In Grand Central.  Patty, Anthony, James, Nina and in front, Connor.

     My son, James, and his wife, Nina came to visit from their home in Georgia.  I enjoyed having them with us.  I miss them terribly because they are so far away.
     We took a trip into New York City to see the sights.  We go into the city about four or five times a year, but we had never ridden on one of those double decker sightseeing buses.   There is just so much to see from up there.  Riders were cautioned to remain seated as anyone foolish enough to stand could be struck by traffic lights or tree branches.

      We listened to the commentary from the guides about the history of different areas and things to see as we traveled about.  We saw the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, the South Street Seaport, and Times Square.  Children splashed in fountains and played in small parks.  We visited street vendors and stores.

Connor was thrilled to visit a three story MacDonald’s in China Town

Street Performers with musical instruments they made out of found items.  They were very talented.  

The boys bought baseball caps at the South Street Seaport.    

      I was reminded of my first time visiting New York when I was eighteen.  My friend Linda was going to nursing school at Beth Israel Hospital and had a tiny apartment nearby.    Linda met me at Grand Central because she knew that I was too country to come to her.  I walked through Grand Central looking up at the night sky depicted on its high ceilings.  When we reached the streets I continued to gaze up in wonder at the tall buildings.  Yokel that I was, I practically walked into people I was so busy looking up.  Linda complained, “Donna, stop looking up like that.  You look like a tourist!”

     I have to confess, although I have been to the city many times since then, I still look like a tourist.   I am enchanted with the towering buildings and the people rushing here and there.  So many people and God loves every single one.

Corner of Broadway and Times Square

     We too are tourists, pilgrims, sojourners passing through a land that is not our home.  We look out for one another, pray for each other, and splash in fountains of praise together.  Like Abraham living as a stranger in a strange land.  We are looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:10

Brooklyn Bridge

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;  for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.                ~Psalm 103:8-14