I’m not sure that I’ve ever been to a resort before. But one of the great things about oldering is there are always wonderful new things to experience. At the Moon Palace Grand Resort in Cancun everything is beautiful and there is always someone close by to make my good life even better.

As someone who lives alone, I am used to watching out for myself, and so I have reveled in others being nearby to tend to me.

My food was paid for with my room, and my son encouraged me to try foods I wouldn’t have wanted to risk paying for. Always concerned about wasting food, here it is perfectly acceptable to order something for only a taste.

My morning coffee and a bowl of Mexican pastries has been delivered to my room to begin my day. Yesterday I had avocado toast with my early coffee. The day before a bowl smoothie with fresh fruit was carried to my door.

Yesterday we went out into the jungle to tour Ek Balam Mayan ruins. As we traversed steps and uneven terrain, my daughter in law stayed near to make sure I was steady. It’s a gift to know I can get help if I need it, and a greater gift to have someone who anticipates when I might need a little extra assistance.

This care, generosity, and beauty has come with a price tag which I willingly paid to share a vacation my Bend family. Time and again this gift of abundance has drawn me back to the deeper awareness of the abundance that God has given to me—and each and everyone of us—for free.

Time and again this trip I have been delighted by the grand surprises that God places before me. Prayers of worry tended to. Gifts of creation that pop into my path. Joy of sitting at a table with people I love. Peace sitting on my deck in the morning with birds singing me a song of greeting.

Only a privileged few can come to a luxury resort. That is the way of the world. All of us live in the kingdom of God. Now. That is the way of God. There is no comparison to the true luxury of God’s Palace.

I am grateful.

My son planned to have a fortieth birthday celebration in Cancun. And then there was a pandemic.

So he rescheduled his trip for this week and invited me to come along. My mother said, “Isn’t that sweet that he wants his mama to come along?“

How could I miss a few days with my Bend family? I’ve already offered to spend grandboy time so my son and wife can have couple time. Of course!

My flight was an easy one—and I saw rainbows in the clouds as we flew over the Caribbean. It is supposed to rain a bit while we are here so I’m hoping to see more.

I’ve been here more than a couple of hours, negotiating slow immigration and travel between terminals. People have been very gracious and helpful. My Bend family has landed and is now making their own way through immigration.

This is the cleanest airport I’ve ever been in though nary a chair in sight. My suitcase is my makeshift sit upon. This whole trip has been the most mask conscious of the pandemic.

I have wifi so I can text and read and write. I have my music. So I’m in Cancun. Waiting. On slow time. Because that’s we do.

The span of our life is seventy years,
perhaps in strength even eighty;

Today is my birthday eve.

My favorite coffee spot has sent me a coupon for a free cup of celebration coffee. I’ll drop by and perhaps treat myself to something yummy to go with it.

Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; *
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

Later today I’ll hop on a plane and fly to Dallas to spend my birthday with my family. United upgraded me to first class for the easy flight.

So teach us to number our days *
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

Tomorrow morning I’ll drive to Southlake to worship with one of my dearest friends, the Rev. Alan Bentrup. The church had already reached their Covid capacity but he said he’d find a place for me.

May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; *
prosper the work of our hands;
prosper our handiwork.

And I’ll be praying and pondering: how will I celebrate the gift of another year that is most loving of God and loving of my neighbor?

It’s Sunday and my Bend family is kind of between churches. I checked around, and Bend still has COVID safety protocols in place (yay! everyone masking). But that meant there wasn’t much in the way of church that would actually be worship for a third and sixth grader.

Still it’s Sunday. So I looked around for how to do church today. First, I reminded my grandboys why we do church ( well, lots of reasons—but one is to give God a gift of our time).

We said the Lord’s Prayer, put some kid’s praise music on, and and drove to a nearby labyrinth at the Lutheran church and walked our worship.

As is their labyrinth walking custom, the boys ran the path in, paused at the center, and walked a straight line back out.

While I walked my more contemplative prayer, my ears were filled with the sounds of my grandsons running and playing and laughing around the church’s beautiful prayer garden.

Nearly an hour later, when we left, one grandboy said, “That felt good.”

And God said, “It is very good.”