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This is a glorified photo blog of my trip to Arizona, with some lessons I learned from the Lord mixed in.

Dear Arizona –

Oh, how you surprised me. I used to have a running joke with my friend from Arizona that I never needed to visit you because Arizona was a desert – The Land of Everything Dead. Secretly, I have a fascination with cacti and was incredibly interested, but I kept the joke going mostly because I knew it drove him just a bit crazy.  

Earlier this year, I was asked to be in the wedding of my squadmate, Jinnae. Of course I said yes! Mostly because I love her, but a little because “Go West!” Is on my #26for26bucketlist and the wedding was in Phoenix.  Though in my head I hoped my westward expansion would be in Colorado or the Pacific Northwest, I decided you, Arizona, would do. Even if you were the Land of Everything Dead.

Jinnae and I during Month 11 of the World Race

Fast forward a few months, when my thoughts about this trip were divided. Yes, I was excited to go and celebrate my dear friend. I was intrigued by all that you are. But to me, Arizona, you did represent death – the death of a different future, one I thought was a sure thing. So I was no longer excited to come see you. You really were the Land of Everything Dead, but in an entirely different way.

I flew out early Thursday morning and as soon as the plane descended through the clouds, I knew that all of my expectations were about to be blown away. I just wasn’t sure if it would be a good thing or bad thing.

Thursday through Saturday involved all things wedding – it was insanely busy but fun! Backyard weddings are a lot of work, but this one was perfect. Every detail fell into place, and I got to see the realization of so many conversations. I remember laying in a bed in Malaysia with Jinnae, hearing about her visions for her backyard wedding with her someday groom. Then I got to be a part of it, and it reminded me how good our God is. 

Melodee Lynn Photography, Erica and Jon Photography

Melodee Lynn Photography, Erica and Jon Photography

Being a bridesmaid is also strange, in that I spent 4 days getting to know and love and appreciate all of the important people in Jinnae’s life – and some of them I may never see again. But because she loves and cherishes them, I love and cherish them, and I am thankful to have faces to the names of all the stories I heard.  And Jinnae’s family took such great care of me – I felt incredibly loved the entire time! 

 
Other things I learned as a bridesmaid:
Saying the word “Alright” when you take a picture makes you look excited (like the Deborah picture face) without all the forehead wrinkles and weird looks (which are definitely in the Deborah picture face). Plus, confetti is great. Always with the confetti.
Melodee Lynn Photography
 
I don’t paint well – with or without a twist. Also, standard size canvases don’t fit in a carry on. Enjoy the extra painting, Wendell.
 
My hair still doesn’t really hold curl.
 
Staying pretty from 9 am until 10 pm is not incredibly easy, especially in the hot desert.
 
This is never a good angle, no matter how fun the picture might be. 
 
 
Being in charge of the balloons is a stressful job – especially with sharp desert plants all around.
 
If you don’t bring a date, dancing with the ring bearer can be just as fun. Especially if he takes the job very seriously. Even more if he loves the twirl.
     
 
And finally, I learned that given the cupcake choices of Reese’s, coconut cream, pumpkin spice, and red velvet, I am still a red velvet girl at heart. I’m also really good at getting to taste all the cupcakes. 

 

I’m also thankful, Arizona, for the time you allowed me to spend with people from my World Race squad – some of whom I haven’t seen in 2 years since we came home. Thank you for being on the west coast and bringing different people back into the mix. I love this family.

God also sent a few people my way at the wedding to pray very specific prayers over me – prayers that spoke directly into the things I have been asking Him about. These people either didn’t know me or didn’t know what they would end up praying for, but God used all three of the people in such a specific way.  He continues to show me that He knows my heart and my desires.

Sunday, though – that was the day that made all the difference. It was a rollercoaster of a day.

Sunday morning I went to church with Wendy, my squadmate. I love that I can sit down in a church anywhere and learn and connect with God. The music, the preacher, and the culture were all different – but God was present in this church. 

Then came the rental car debacle. That’s a long story that involved complications and tears and credit cards and spending 3 times what I was originally quoted. But God was on my side and I was able to drive away from the lot in a rental.

I needed the rental because I was driving to meet supporters – a few I have never met in person before. These are people who have loved and supported me not just financially but in every way possible, despite every circumstance that came against us, simply because the Lord told them to do so. I feel connected with these people, but I was nervous to meet them for a number of reasons. Arizona represented the death of my imagined future, and in this couple, I was going to meet it face to face.
 

But in this visit, I found life. I found the goodness of God. My family grew. This was not my family in the way I expected or planned, but definitely in the way God intended. I got hugged – a real hug – from a mom. I got taken out to coffee and breakfast by a dad. I heard stories of their life and love and family and walk with the Lord.  They challenged me and asked deep questions. They opened their hearts and their home to me. I have never in my life felt more welcomed by anyone under any circumstance. It was a hard visit, but only because it was so so good. I will always be thankful this couple crossed my path, and that now we have an established relationship to walk forward in. To you both, thank you for making me part of your family. Thank you for reminding me that love and life can still be found when things appear hopelessly broken. Thank you for being a physical representation that God has not forgotten or abandoned me, but works all things for good. 

After that visit, I needed to process. I needed adventure. I needed to see cacti. It has been on my lifelong bucket list to see the Saguaro National Forest, and it was between me and Phoenix. How could I not take a date day with Jesus and go exploring? On the drive down, I had seen a sign that said “Scenic Route 83” which basically means “If you don’t drive this way you are a fool.” So I googled some directions and headed out on this road.

Life lesson: if the scenic route is ever an option, take it. Just trust me. I nearly wrecked my car 7 times because I couldn’t stop looking at all of the things around me (don’t tell the rental company).

I made it to the Saguaro National Forest and spent the next few hours awestruck. There were Saguaro cacti for miles. I felt giddy. The driving path went through the mountains (and the cacti grow right up the sides of those). I got out of the car a few times and explored down some paths, despite wearing a dress shirt and ballet flats. I didn’t go too far, because warnings from cartoons about not going into the desert unprepared haunted me. I visited the site of ancient petroglyphs and wandered down hiking and cattle paths. One thought continued to invade my mind – “Look at how amazingly creative our God is! He did all of this! And THIS God is the one writing my story.” I probably took 150 pictures that day, and the pictures don’t do it justice. But I’ll give it shot anyway.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
So thank you, Arizona. Thank you for surprising me. Thank you for the new experiences. Thank you for the coyote wandering along the highway and the large crawling creature that I sincerely hope wasn’t a tarantula. The border patrol check was definitely a unique experience. I got to see Mexico (from a distance – I didn’t border hop). The sunsets were everything you promised they would be. Thank you for Dutch Bros. Coffee and In-n-Out Burger (even though I am a huge believer that Five Guys is significantly better). Thank you for dry heat and high desert.  Thank you for scenic overlooks. Thank you for the Painted Hills and 15-foot tall cacti (and the hope that one day my little guy might grow that tall). Thank you for open landscapes and foreign climate. Thank you for cacti as far as the eye can see and mountains that are so different from those of my home.  Thank you for being refreshing, despite being the desert. Thank you for leaving me in awe of who God is. Thank for not being the Land of Everything Dead, but a land where I found redemption and healing and LIFE.

 

2 responses to “The Land of Everything Dead”

  2. Lovely…so glad you got to know us and our special places. Hope you make it way out west again. Our door is always open.