Our Steps are in His Hands

Our Steps are in His Hands Originally uploaded by nathanclendenin. Just like the road trip through Mexico last summer, it feels as if God has bestowed extra grace into every detail of the trip. Leaving London included a leisurely morning and a bus or taxi ride (unintentionally) past all the major sites we would have wanted to see, like Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral. Other little things that make big differences kept happening all day. We'd arrive at the train station to get a ride to the airport and the next train would be leaving in 5 minutes, the one after it not for another 40 minutes. Our flight to Dublin was delayed 20 minutes (I'm 4/4 on delayed flights so far!), but we still arrived in front of Trinity College to meet our hose Dave Freeburn (pictured) just a few minutes late. Dave ended up being the perfect host. He was quite chill, super friendly, and very funny. We spent the night at his flat next to the church where he serves as the youth leader. Another guest of his, Wes from Birmingham, AL was also there (random?!) and so we all got fish and chips down by the bay and then I experienced my first pint of Guinness in its natural environs (They say it tastes better in Ireland, and I think I agree. It's not totally different such that I'll never enjoy a pint again in the U.S.though). True to its nature, the Guinness nurtured conversation between new acquaintances that covered a range of topics from theology in the south to old 80's music and of course U2 (the reason we stayed with Dave was because we emailed random Presbyterian churches asking for lodging due to the fact that Bono and the crew are playing three concerts over the weekend and everything is booked. Wes saw them Friday night). The night ended with a jam session with me and Dave on guitar playing hits from Freebird to Smells like Teen Spirit. It was quite a welcome to Ireland. And whether things are working out with amazingly perfect timing or I've been delayed and in search of my bag, I will remember that my steps are in His hands.