A Day in Gloucester

Today Matt and I visited Gloucester, Mass, pronounced by the natives "glawster" rather than "glowchester" which is what I would have said. It was perfect weather--50's and sunny with ocean winds. We opted to go for the coast one more time because the leaves aren't quite at peak yet. We took the commuter rail train and watched the small Massachusetts towns pass by.

We arrived in Gloucester at about 11am and our adventures began. The town is famous as the nation's oldest fishing village, and it is also the setting of the movie, The Perfect Storm. At first, we weren't too impressed, but after some substantial walking, we came to a tiny bordering community called Rocky Neck, home of the famous Rocky Neck artist's colony. It was pretty amazing. We met artists and walked through their studios--some really great art, and some not so great art, were in abundance. We decided to keep going after the artist's colony to a beach we saw on our map. It was truly beautiful, but then our hidden surprise began. We passed a beautiful private drive and were about to turn and walk back toward Gloucester when the crossing guard for the private drive called us over. He said we looked like we wanted to go walking there (and we did). He gave us the go-ahead and we walked past some of the most beautiful coastland I have ever seen. Wooded areas, beautiful coastal colonial homes, and then a wildlife preserve. Finally, we ended our journey at a rocky coast with a pristine white lighthouse. It seems that every time we journey outward for a fun day, the Lord surprises us more than we expected.

After this great exploration, we headed back into town to find some food. We ended up at a warm local pub where we shared fish and chips. Amazingly, the Auburn game was on, so we stayed and watched until our train arrived. In the midst of this experience, we found ourselves in conversation with a slightly sad-seeming, older aristocratic-looking fellow who had had a few beverages. He was quite talkative, but a "low talker", so difficult to hear. He spoke much about how he is against organized religion and how all roads lead to the same place; about all of his world travels; and his studies of philosophy. He and I even talked a little about art. My heart wanted to burst forth "What do you think of Jesus?", but it seemed a futile topic at the moment. I smiled and listened, and maybe that's all he needed. But I pray that God draws him to His love.

Finishing our last sip, and the first quarter of the Auburn game, and hearing the last few comments from our friend about the differences between "tourists" and "travelers", it was time to head back toward our train. We boarded and headed home, exhausted, a little sad, and refreshed all at the same time. I realized, even with all of the natural beauty, how lonely the day would have seemed without being with someone I loved, and without knowing Jesus. It is funny how strange it still feels to be somewhere different. But, as I sit here and write, I remember that every new place feels like this at first. And hopefully as we get to know this new home, we can discover more of God's surprises, and share a little more light in unexpected places.