Sometimes opportunities appear when you are least expecting them, which can make the surprise even more delightful and inspiring. We found such an opportunity recently on a walk down to the river with the host of our Airbnb.

Luna had offered to show us the path down to the river, so while Paul was faithfully working at the house, the kids and I traipsed along beside her down a sunlit path to the shallow river running down from the mountains. Noah and Natalie splashed a bit in the water, and we walked through my favorite eucalyptus grove. Eucalyptus trees are strong, smooth and tall, the leaves smell incredible, and they look like God hand-painted the bark of each one. They are truly beautiful, and I loved seeing the light peeking through the branches.

As we meandered along the sandy shore of the river, Luna spotted a couple of horses on a hill on the other side, in the tiny white village of Los Tablones. Being a horse lover, she was very excited and convinced us to cross over and look at them. After wading across the freezing water, we climbed the hill to find two boys, Noah’s age, playing with the horses. When we asked if we could pet them, the boys gave us a nonchalant agreement and, having an audience, they then showed off their skills by jumping on the horses’ backs and doing a couple of tricks. These were gypsy horses, and their young gypsy owners knew them well.

Luna eventually requested a ride, met with another shrug and “sure”, then the two boys took turns giving Noah and Natalie rides as well. The pictures describe the experience better than words; the whole afternoon had a feeling of magical delight, my heart not really knowing how to capture the vision before me, the delicious breeze and golden light mixed with the sounds of laughter, being aware that this moment is so unique and yet real.

A recurring theme that Paul and I have felt for this adventure we are on is to “pay attention”. We believe that God has something to tell us, and we need to give notice not only to what is obvious, but also to the details around us. This beautiful opportunity that we had with the gypsy horses was a small example of noticing, then taking a step forward to cross the river to the other side for a wonderful experience. I need to take time to look up, explore, take risks, and most of all “pay attention”.