"Do you want to have a 'Grape-out' later today?"

Joelle asked me this earlier today. I didn't know at the time what a grape-out is, but I was sure it is good.
Yes, it is good. Taste the quiet moments as you do simple, seemingly insignificant things together.

Yesterday, I decided to step out on the back porch and gaze at the Greenhorn Mountains. I leaned against the railing and the girls (Evelyn and Joelle) peeked out the window as if they needed permission to join me. I motioned to them much like the Carribean traffic officer in the "If We Had Wings" ride at Disney. Think of my daughters as my little flamingos. Evelyn joined me and one minute later Joelle appeared with a huge cluster of red globe grapes. They are worth fishing for the seeds. I had some grapes with me already but she knew that we needed more provisions. The three of us stood and cracked open grapes and spit them out over the deck. "Squish, slosh, spit." I didn't know at the time, but this will forever be known as a "grape-out."

By request, we did enjoy a grape-out today. It was a little less satisfying as we were missing the "spit." All we had left were seedless grapes. Mollie banged on the door. She became the youngest grape-out participant in the history of the event. We, did basically run inside screaming due to the arrival of a couple blood-thirsty wasps. We barely escaped their grasp.

Tonight's bed-time prayer with the girls (I know. There a lot of hyphens in this.) had a little P.S. After the worship and the praises and the intercessions, I threw in a heart-felt "Thank you Lord for the Grape-Out."

As I opened my eyes, I looked at Joelle. She was sporting that still, strong smile that I call the "Safety Smile." It's more than life's little cookie. That smile is the meal that somehow has the sweetness of a dessert. As it is certainly an indicator of joy and true belonging, it is also a carrier pigeon of the same. You can never arrange for a safety smile, but God will bring them. He's good like that. Just step out and grab a cluster.