For over two weeks in July, we traveled by car to a writer’s conference in Michigan, a two-star swimming championships in Wisconsin, and then back to Michigan for a family vacation. It was the longest I’ve been away from home since college. The many wonderful experiences form a tapestry of fond memories, but a few surprising takeaways stand out.

Reflecting at the Realm Makers Conference

I’ve been looking forward to this annual meeting of Christian speculative authors since the previous one ended last year. And this year’s conference did not disappoint.

Luminaries such as S.D. Smith, Sarah Arthur, and N.D. Wilson inspired me to exercise my craft as calling, baptizing the imagination with fantastic tales. Thriller writer Steven James challenged me to captivate, shock, and horrify, all plausibly, with his Story Cube. The seasoned and serene Donald Maass packed a punch with his power scenes and no-fail openings. Expert mentors coached me on dumping info dumps and deploying hidden weapons. All instructional and invaluable events but normal days at Realm Makers. Even the appearance of a very credible Jean-Luc Picard at the costumed Awards Banquet didn’t move me because it was my husband, and I had suggested the get-up.

Then I had a random conversation with a mother of five, who had come with her author husband. He was exhibiting at the Expo while she watched the kids. We shared a table at lunchtime and chatted between the frequent interruptions from her children. She shared about traveling with such a large family and living with a writer. I used to live in her home state and reminisced with her about it. It was pleasant, and I thought nothing else of it. Until she found me at the Expo and gave me a free copy of her husband’s book. Evidently, she really enjoyed our talk and wanted to give me something. This simple act of generosity disarmed and humbled me, reminding me of the profound possibility of every individual to be far more than I might see at first. There are no mere mortals.

Present Splendors of Futures

For those of you who have not been involved in competitive swimming, let me explain the USA Swimming Futures Championships. They are annual, high-level meets (2 stars out of 4 in the national rating system) that serve as transitions from regional to national-level competitions. In effect, they allow emerging swimmers to showcase their talent, achieve times for higher-tier meets, and attract the interest of recruiters from NCAA Division 1 schools. These are the future stars of USA Swimming.

Bereft of swimmers ourselves, my husband and I still enjoy officiating. For the privilege of volunteering at the Futures Championship in Madison, WI, we achieved our national certifications, applied early, arranged our own transportation and lodging, and paid for it all. The meet spanned four 12-hour days and required long periods of standing and walking. I sustained a mean bruise from shoving past poles and people, and two other officials lost blood over it. Yet we had a great time! In fact, some officials flew to another meet right after this one. We do it for the camaraderie and exciting swimming at this level.

And sometimes, we get to meet an Olympian. This time, it was 2004 gold medalist Carly Piper. She is now Carly Ryan, married to Shane Ryan, who is one of the co-owners of the hosting club, Madison Aquatic Club. Carly spoke to the officials and even passed her medal around. This is probably the closest I’ll ever get to an Olympic gold medal. As cool as that was, something else made a greater impact.

It is the custom of the hosting club of any meet to provide food for officials and coaches. That is great for most people—except the ones who are lactose-intolerant, like me. I’ve learned that dairy, especially cheese, is very ubiquitous in the American diet. There is often little that I can eat at my local meets in the Pennsylvania area. So, I certainly didn’t expect to do better in cheesehead country in Wisconsin. Armed with my packets of trail mix, I visited hospitality to socialize and maybe get some fruit. But delicious and edible options greeted me every time. Later, I found out that the club spent so much money on us, that it might not profit from the meet.

Again, I was humbled and overwhelmed by the generosity of strangers. I might be a little heavier because of the pounds I didn’t lose through starvation at the meet, but my heart is lighter to see this glimpse of beauty in kindness.

An Extraordinary Movie

That brings us to our family vacation. Cutting to the quick, I’ll tell you that the unexpected joy here was from an extraordinary movie.

I’d seen mixed reviews for the new Superman movie. When I saw it, I couldn’t recall the objections. It was a fine James Gunn movie with plot, heart, action, and goofiness in just the right proportions. Almost a perfect movie for a rainy afternoon, but it wasn’t the movie I’m talking about.

Later that day, we saw a movie on TV that inspired me to write this blog post. I had never heard of I Still Believe before. But I had heard of the Christian recording artist Jeremy Camp. This film about him and his wife, Melissa, transfixed me. Everything about it was simple and deep. The acting, the screenplay, the songs, the story, the faith. I don’t want to give away the plot, but it challenged me to accept the goodness and sovereignty of God anew. Considering the “coincidence” of finding this movie and the other blessings God had given me on the trip, I started drafting my ideas. There was only one more day of vacation left. Surely, nothing surpassing could happen.

I was wrong.

While packing the next day, I turned on the TV for background viewing. It should have been nothing, but God gave me one more, ultimate movie. You might guess what, or whom, it was about from hints throughout this post. Who was surprised by joy, did not see mere mortals, spoke of baptizing the imagination, and caught glimpses of beauty in ordinary life that moved him to an intense yearning for something beyond this material world? Yes, The Most Reluctant Convert was a biopic of C.S. Lewis.

How remarkable, as a writer schooled in principles of character development, plot, dramatic tension, and other elements of good storytelling, that I should be captivated by a production which was almost entirely narration, with a few flashbacks thrown in. It wasn’t for the discovery of new information on Lewis, but the hearing of his words.

Having only read his fiction, I already considered Lewis a genius. Adding his thoughts on apologetics and reason cemented that estimation. Here was a brilliant intellect, restless and probing, that would not shy away from truth no matter how distasteful it seemed. His was an unrelenting integrity that had earned the right to be heard. And hearing, I am inspired to think deeper, look closer to see splendor, strain to hear that echo of tune I have not heard, and follow the beams of joy back to their Source.

The Whales

And finally, there were the whales.

As we drove home, I glanced at the pristine blue sky and saw several adorable whale clouds. They passed as we proceeded, and I lamented, “All the best whales are behind us.” It seemed sad, like the fading of my lovely road trip. At such times, I fear I will never see beauty again. I wish I had taken a picture, but perhaps it was better to enjoy the moment rather than capture it.

But soon enough other clouds flitted by, taking on the fanciful shapes of flying elephants, slurping hogs, a giant mouse head, or a wispy monkey. They weren’t as cute but tickled me anyway. Then the next day, I saw a few more miniature whales. I’m reminded that there are many more skies ahead full of unexpected wonders. If I worry about what has gone by, I might miss them.