aka Elske and John Land
Day One: Middlerode and Beyond
My soul longs for Thee as I feel You call to me from the vastness of the green fields of potatoes and corn with their waterways of living water dividing the meadows. You whisper from the heights of the tree lined canals and the turreted porches of the canal houses. These capture my imagination, as they always do, and I am lost to a life of artistry and worship from above to above and within.
Come away into the solitude of the old growth countryside in the hamlets of Middlerode and high in the ancient churches and ammunition houses of the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The quiet canals and silent waters. Beneath the arches of light and shadow, high in the belfrys near the rafters, in the bursting flower boxes of the tall canal houses with their porches all adorned. Their weather vanes atop in splendid intricacy luring my doodle hands into a display of their own.
There is the deepness of history here through which I hear God’s voice. “See what has been done, look to what I will do, be present in what I am doing as I refresh your soul with my presence, everywhere displayed.”
Our destination is the Museum Kruithuis. It is housed in a 14th century ammunition depot. I leave my friends to their tour and explore on my own. I’m thinking I’ll just take in the building and call it good until I remember Google translate. I translate all the signs and am immersed in the Dutch 80 years war. It is an amazing marvel. I feel like I’m on the Enterprise with my universal translator. I learn that the outer walls are thicker than the inner in case of explosions. It is a clever way to protect the city. My tour takes me to the rafters and I look out over the inner courtyard. This place has the feel of a medieval castle and I am delighted to take the ups and downs at my leisure.
My home tonight is a well appointed glamping tent next to the tent of my old growth friends of my youth. Sheltered in a meadow surrounded by the majesty of trees which, in turn, are surrounded by farms of potatoes and corn. The smell of rain is in the wind that is waking up as the day winds down. The gentle rustling of leaves on high, rock me to sleep. I am in the embrace of my God Who rests me in the deep slumber of His care, safe, nourished and loved.
NetherAnne
August, 2026
Tripping with God: Stories of Faith and Inspiration 