Today I woke up with a surge of excitement, ready for a day with my bestest friend.
Allow me, please, to take a moment to brag about my best friend.
Daniella is one of the most incredible human beings I’ve ever known.
She is outrageously humble.
Always curious. Always genuinely empathetic. Never judgemental. A calming presence. Hilarious in her own right. Wise beyond her years. Brilliant-brained. Fit and driven. Capable and secure.
Oftentimes in my prayers of thanks, I am overcome with emotion in thanking God for gifting me with this person in my life, and the opportunity for friendship with her.
Anyway. Today.
Daniella and I had made plans to go to Webster’s Falls, a natural waterfall about an hour’s drive from our city. I spent the morning in the Word and eating a good breakfast and, of course, drinking coffee and responding to emails before Daniella picked me up for the day.
We drove and chatted, and constantly I was struck with those feelings of gratefulness, Daniella and I clicking in that soulmate-friendship-kind-of-way and reminiscing over memories from middle school to high school to now, both of us in committed relationships, working, and halfway through undergrad degrees. Where does time go? we relented like grandmothers, as we often do.
The falls were beautiful.
Daniella knew her way around the scenic area so well, and excitably told me that we would be climbing under a fence to get there. “A lot of people just take the trails,” she said, “But that’s so boring. We’re going right up to the falls.”
And that we did. For two hours, we crossed the rivers, hiked up and down steep hills, wetting our shoes and scraping our knees and soaking in the sunniest day of 2017 so far. God’s glorious day, and it was so good.
Oh, how nature makes one aware of His presence, and of our need for Him!
In addition, I was praising God for my real and true energy.
Last time I truly went hiking was at my cottage last summer, and for the past few years, such an amount of energy had me with shaky legs, in fear of fainting, moving very slowly.
Today, however, I was aware of surges of energy, strong and agile legs and arms, alertness and determination, and lack of fear– trust.
Daniella’s ability to take charge and lead with such compassion and patience is amazing. She has been so independent and mature as long as I’ve known her.
Finished with our hike, Daniella and I walked back to the car and to find a place in Hamilton to refuel. We settled on a super-cute Starbucks, where we filled up on iced drinks and ate food before making a music-filled drive back to Kitchener.
Hot and still hungry when I got home, I snacked and did some homework before Johnny came over after a long work day. I whipped up a random pasta dinner for us both which we cozied up with over Community, our current Netflix pleasure, and conversations that I, in fact, will never forget.
I am finishing up a beautiful day with two of the most important people in my life thanking the most important One, Jesus, for His gifts and care for me, that I might understand more every day that care so that it expels from me for His purposes.
by 
Cassie
Cassie
