a violin maker and a miniature horse

Sometimes, it's the little things that make life special... the little things that open up heaven for just a moment and give you a glimpse of God's smile.  Yesterday marked the 2 week point for me... in 2 weeks, I will be on a plane headed home.  It's hard for me to believe.  Time is flying by... the busier the days, the faster time flies.  I have a hard time keeping up... so I very much enjoy when the little things stop me in my tracks and help me to see.

I went to visit some friends for dinner last night.  On the way to his house, my friend wanted to pull off for an "errand."  I pulled the car over, followed him across the street and through a door, and found myself in a small shop belonging to a real violin maker!  It was incredible.  I was surrounded by beautiful polished, completed violins, along with many assorted pieces of violins still to be put together.  I just stood there, trying to take it all in.  My friend introduced me to all of the workers in the violin shop, and in halting English, they told me their stories about how they first became violin makers.  It was amazing... beautiful.  I left the violin shop, still trying to take it all in... only in Europe would I be driving through a little German village with a friend and land myself in a violin maker's shop.  I feel like I am in another world... and I love it.














After a wonderful time of visiting my friends, I let my GPS guide me back to the village where I am staying.  It avoided the main roads completely and had me driving through all kinds of winding roads through all kinds of farms... and vineyards!  At one point in the trip, I looked around me and all I could see were vineyards... every hill around me was covered in them.  It was beautiful... I love vineyards, especially German ones.  (Germans are so meticulous... everything is always lined up perfectly.  Makes the vineyards seem even more beautiful!)

















The road wound me past a pasture full of horses, and as I rounded a bend, I looked up and saw a miniature horse standing on the side of the road, completely outside the fence and the pasture.  All of the other horses were in the fence, but he wasn't.  There's a special place in my heart for animals and I haven't seen too many miniature horses in my life... so I just really enjoyed that one.  It was almost as if he was standing outside of the gate just so that I could drive by and see him.  I loved it.

















So... I went to have dinner with friends, and in the process, I met violin makers, drove through all kinds of vineyards, and almost ran into a miniature horse.  I love moments like that which take me completely by surprise.  Thanks, Lord, for beauty in the busyness.