SOMETHING'S STUCK
Seems like there's something non-poetic stuck in my craw, so we'll take a break with some prose and see if we can't wiggle it loose...
Seems like there's something non-poetic stuck in my craw, so we'll take a break with some prose and see if we can't wiggle it loose...
RESTLESSNESS - Pt. 1
A while back, there was a meme floating around the blogging world that challenged readers to come up with six words to describe themselves in total. It’s been a while but, more or less, my reply was: “Ceaselessly seeking God’s truth and way.”
The label “seeker” has often been attached to me, so it was a good place for me to start in trying to come up with my meme reply. It wasn’t that much of a stretch to come up with the adverb “ceaselessly,” either. My blog is titled “Pilgrim Path” for good reason – I am quite often going somewhere, either physically or spiritually. To some, this might be considered a sign of restlessness. To me, it is a natural state of being.
Recently, I had the occasion to talk to a good friend about restlessness. My dear friend and mentor, Rose, is my former pastor. She was the pastor of the church that I joined mid-life after many decades away from a religious life. In recent years, we have become traveling companions, most often heading off to monasteries for week-long retreats. Just a month ago, we spent some time at one of our favorite spots – Christ in the Desert Monastery in Abiquiu, New Mexico.
Rose grew up in the verdant rolling hills of eastern Kentucky. I grew up in the concrete and asphalt covered flatland of Chicago. And yet, the high desert of New Mexico speaks to both of us. I am fond of repeating the story of the first time I recognized the impact of the landscape of New Mexico on me:
When traveling to New Mexico, we fly into the Albuquerque airport. The car rental agencies are located off-site so you have to take a shuttle bus to retrieve your car. After completing all the paperwork and checking out with the person in the outdoor kiosk, you drive around the rental lot and point your car west in order to get on to the road to the expressway. It is when you make that turn and face west that you are confronted, for the first time, with the wide vista of the high desert landscape. Before I could even catch my breath, the words, “My heart sings…” sprang forth from my soul.
(to be continued…)
A while back, there was a meme floating around the blogging world that challenged readers to come up with six words to describe themselves in total. It’s been a while but, more or less, my reply was: “Ceaselessly seeking God’s truth and way.”
The label “seeker” has often been attached to me, so it was a good place for me to start in trying to come up with my meme reply. It wasn’t that much of a stretch to come up with the adverb “ceaselessly,” either. My blog is titled “Pilgrim Path” for good reason – I am quite often going somewhere, either physically or spiritually. To some, this might be considered a sign of restlessness. To me, it is a natural state of being.
Recently, I had the occasion to talk to a good friend about restlessness. My dear friend and mentor, Rose, is my former pastor. She was the pastor of the church that I joined mid-life after many decades away from a religious life. In recent years, we have become traveling companions, most often heading off to monasteries for week-long retreats. Just a month ago, we spent some time at one of our favorite spots – Christ in the Desert Monastery in Abiquiu, New Mexico.
Rose grew up in the verdant rolling hills of eastern Kentucky. I grew up in the concrete and asphalt covered flatland of Chicago. And yet, the high desert of New Mexico speaks to both of us. I am fond of repeating the story of the first time I recognized the impact of the landscape of New Mexico on me:
When traveling to New Mexico, we fly into the Albuquerque airport. The car rental agencies are located off-site so you have to take a shuttle bus to retrieve your car. After completing all the paperwork and checking out with the person in the outdoor kiosk, you drive around the rental lot and point your car west in order to get on to the road to the expressway. It is when you make that turn and face west that you are confronted, for the first time, with the wide vista of the high desert landscape. Before I could even catch my breath, the words, “My heart sings…” sprang forth from my soul.
(to be continued…)
Labels: desert, landscape, nature, restlessness
posted by Pilgrim Path | 5:24 PM
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