a sensible extravagance

We left Molly in Davis on a Tuesday in July, and headed to the coast, racing the sun. There was a plan- to pitch our little tent before dark at the Bodega Bay state park. . .but alas, the park was full-full of R.V.s, no room for tents, imagine that?
So, we kept driving-along the dark and curvy coastal highway.
John pulled off in Jenner, on an estuary, where the Russian River meets the Pacific. "Let's see how much it costs to stay at this bed and breakfast," he said.
Yep- more pricey than the $6 state park fee-but we decided to get a room, me with more reluctance than he. . .
John trotted our bicycles down two flights of wooden stairs and when we opened the door, the little cabin room smelled like cedar-hmmm. . .Extravagant, indeed!

And in the morning we watched the fowl on the estuary, then walked down the foggy road to breakfast in the big house dinning room-waffles with a little pot of syrup and sliced fresh fruit, a side bar of hot drinks. John whispered to me, "do you think this is it?"

hmmm, just my kind of breakfast-his face still looked hungry. . .I placed half my waffle on his empty plate. It was nice.

But the truth is. . . my heart constricts at the thought of spending a little extra on something . . .well, on something sensibly extravagant, like one night in a B&B or the like-why is that, heart?

Then I think about my God - extravagant in creation, rich in mercy, abounding in lovingkindness to those who call upon his name, lavish in his grace and goodness.

And He's given us all things richly to enjoy!

So today, over coffee with Kate, I felt compelled to tell her, "Plan into your life some sensible extravagance!" -now, was that random?