Last week we received an invitation from one of my brothers.  He lives in Maryland, and although we have been in the area a year, schedules and commitments and the chaos of daily life prevented us from connecting.  He called last week and invited us for the weekend to his farm in Western Pennsylvania.  How could we refuse?

In order to maximize the experience and catch a few sights along the way, my husband took off Friday afternoon and we packed the car for Pennsylvania.  We arrived along the Allegheny ridge as the sun was beginning to set and without knowing it, I actually captured a picture of his farmhouse (the brick one to the left of the silos) without being aware that we had almost arrived at our destination!  It was such a beautiful scene, I had to stop and take a picture!

Some years ago my brother and his wife purchased 16 acres with an old farm house built in the 1840’s.  It was known as the Burns Manor House and is a four story brick, 12 room house with additional full basement and attic, and came complete with its own colorful history.  Needless to say, after visiting so many historical houses and walking through rooms filled with stories I could only imagine, it was a thrill to be able to stay in one with my brother and sister-in-law.

We visited and toured some of the surrounding countryside; canned tomatoes and antiqued; told stories and shared meals.  It was pure grace to share memories and reconnect with my brother and we were profoundly grateful for the invitation to do so.

One of my lasting memories of the weekend will be waking up in the southeast bedroom with the autumn sun pouring in through the window sheers.  I could actually feel the warmth of grace in the country morning air.

The weather was breathtakingly beautiful and over the course of the weekend, as impossible as it sounds, we could practically see the trees around his farm changing color as the hours passed!

Never pass up an opportunity to accept an invitation.  It could be grace!  And, don’t forget to extend an invitation . . . it could be grace for someone else.