The tremendous gift of the early morningwalk

Published Categorized as english
This time, I’ d love to take you along a silent morning walk along the dike and show you a bit of our area. We live in the eastern part of the Netherlands in the fruitfull river area, near Arnhem. Dikes are build along the riverside, to avoid the danger of flooding. Walking over the dike is my favorite activity, as it gives a kind of overview of the landscape. Our area is called the Betuwe. We live in between two large rivers. North of us, the river Upper-Rhine, and just 8 kilometer South of us, the river Waal, which is actually the local name for the main stream of the Rhine.
While walking and enjoying the sunrise, psalm 8 came in mind.

 

Time: 06. 44:

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
    in the heavens.

3 When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,

 

 

4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?[c]

5 You have made them[d] a little lower than the angels[e]
    and crowned them[f] with glory and honor.

6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
    you put everything under their[g] feet:

 

 

7 all flocks and herds,
    and the animals of the wild,

 

 

9 Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

 

This is the view when entering the next village. 40 minutes from our home. This is the tower of the Reformed Church. The tower is separated from the church, which has been washed away at some point. The tower survived, its walls are two meters thick and rare flowers are blossoming on its wall. For safety reasons, they built the new church 50 meters further inland. Next to the tower is a graveyard and I discovered a few years ago a grave from the local pastor at the time who lost 8 of his children in one week. Astonishing facts of loss, unimaginable pain, and sadness. The river flows through the landscape, God’ s faithfulness is new every morning and yet, pain and death are here as everywhere.

Here, just a few more pictures that I took on the way home. I am not an official photographer, and my camera is a plain Samsung phone. But you get a glimpse of our life.

 

Good morning chikko’ s

Behind the cows meanders the river Rhine. Here you see the floodplain with fog bank. When the snow melts in Germany, or even further in Switzerland, this whole area can be filled with water till the edge of the dike (+/-15 meters high) Scary thought that the school and the whole village are laying just behind the dike. Imagine these 15 meters of water on the other side of the dike. Dikes are lifesavers.

One more time, looking back to see how much the sun has risen in these 40 minutes, before I go down the dike, into the village Randwijk.

 

In front of me I see this view of the village Randwijk. Every village has a Reformed Church here, and this is the church we visit on Sunday ‘s. Left from the church you see a giant tree. It is approx. 150 years old and happens to be in our backyard! (of the house in which we live for the time being). Coming home, I can sit just underneath this old tree and it is:

08.15, Time for Tea 

Do you have something nice within walking distance of your house? I’m curious! Feel free to share it below. You will understand how wonderful it is for us to catch our breath and switch gears during these turbulent weeks.  And as you can see: the tea is made in no time. Welcome!