Experiencing NYC on the 4th of July
Sometimes a chapter in our life story is BOTH good AND bad, amazing and disappointing. That was my experience on a 4th of July cruise during our recent family getaway to New York City. I hope you can relate to my words, and I know you will enjoy my husband’s photographs.
Two spectacular bridges. Manhattan Bridge is in the foreground, and Brooklyn Bridge in the background.
Preparing for our family trip to New York City in early July, the event I was most excited about was a cruise on the Hudson River to see the famous 4th of July fireworks.
I had done my homework before discussing the idea with my husband about treating our family to this experience. It didn’t exactly fit into our travel budget, but Ron agreed. He loves taking photos of fireworks, and setting up his tripod on the top deck of a 500-person yacht was enticing.
My hopeful expectations were not met. Beginning with the taxi ride from the hotel to the pier, the cruise boat experience was disillusioning. A month later, I am still processing a plethora of emotions and trying to discern what God would like me to learn from what I assume is a “one-and-done” experience.
Despite my disappointments, however, watching the huge, brilliant, and iconic fireworks display lighting up the NYC nighttime sky was amazing!
I hope you’ll enjoy this sampling of Ron’s photographs.
Because of the intensity of the light, Ron couldn’t adjust his camera quickly enough to capture the cascade of fireworks that fell like a waterfall from the Brooklyn Bridge, but it was stunning.
Amazing!! This is my favorite photo.
Beautiful fireworks cascaded like rain from the heavens.
“Why all the squiggly lines in this photo?” I asked Ron. “Oh, someone bumped into me while I was taking the picture,” he explained. I thought the result was delightful!
While I’ve had some clues, I am not yet sure what the spiritual takeaways are that God wants me to learn from my NYC Fireworks Cruise story. Mother Teresa described herself as "a little pencil in God's hands." She realized God is the one who writes the story, but we are allowed to hold the pencil. Perhaps that’s where I will begin!
Blessings on your journey and how God is writing your story!
