A Visit to a Hallmark Town
Sometimes when scheduling the next destination to stay, we pick a location that is halfway from where we were and where we want to be. Once in awhile that ends up being a pleasant surprise. That was the case when we arrived in Vidalia, LA.
We knew Natchez, MS was close by and learned from our friends that it has beautiful historical homes decorated during the Christmas season. Needless to say, we were eager to visit this quaint little city.
Upon our arrival at RV park, we were so excited to see we were right on the Mississippi River and had such pretty views from inside our little home.
The mighty Mississippi was simply stunning not just because of its beauty but the magnitude of its history. A vital waterway in commerce, there are still tugboats, barges, and steamboats to be seen floating to and fro.
We thoroughly enjoyed our walks every morning along this waterway, gazing at the massive bridge that separated Louisiana and Mississippi. Even on a foggy morning, it was a site to behold.
Our evening walks were equally beautiful. The city of Vidalia had decorated along the river for the Christmas season, complete with mechanical displays from the 1950’s!
Upon our visit to Natchez, we learned it was the site of not one, but two Hallmark Christmas movies. One had just finished filming in November and was expected to air in December. We then discovered, quite by accident during a stroll downtown, the second movie was filming right in front of us. It was a little difficult to see the set but somewhere behind the fence was Patti Labelle. The town had been decorated for Christmas since August and needless to say, the residents were feeling a little bit over it!
We loved our walk through the historic streets and homes. It is a city amidst a revitalization but certainly headed in the right direction.
During a second trip to Natchez the following day we were surprised by a visit with our new friends from Laurel, MS, Jeannette and Mark! They were visiting a nearby town and remembered we would be in the area and decided to come visit us. What a gift! We were thrilled to see them again!
Before leaving the area, we had an opportunity to volunteer at a local establishment. We had been so filled with joy over our earlier service projects and were equally excited to give back to another community once again. Unfortunately, this time it did not go as expected.
A small organization with a heart to give was struggling to complete their service project for the holidays. We walked into what seemed to us to be an unorganized and perhaps not so friendly environment. In hindsight, I think the stress of completing their project and the blessing of having too many volunteers was just too overwhelming to manage.
I found myself not responding well to the environment and subsequently left. I was heartbroken both at the unwelcome sense I felt and my response. I am so filled with the joy of serving that I expect the response where I serve will be equally joyful.
Once I was past the emotions of the experience, I was able to process the lesson.
A journey in spreading salt and light does not always produce the response we hope for. We live in a fallen world, the darkness does not always like the light. Our mission is not always going to be welcomed. It does hurt, but it is a reality. The apostles of the bible did not have it easy in their journey, so why would I think ours would always be? But much like them, we have a choice. We can choose to give up and walk away, or we can choose to turn to the One who promises to be with us through the good times and bad and continue the journey.
Living a life in service to God is not always sunshine and rainbows. And when it isn’t, it is an opportunity to pray, forgive, love, learn, and grow. The people in that organization are much like me. Trying to do good, but they’re still humans who make mistakes. Thankfully God loves us and forgives us for our shortcomings. And because He does that for me, I in turn owe that to others like me who do not always get it right.
We left the great Mississippi River with wonderful memories of our visit with Jeannette and Mark, the chance to experience a Hallmark town, and a greater understanding of what it means to be a disciple of God. Above all else, love others.
