Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Life's journey(s)...many or one?

Journey: A process or course ...... the journey of life.

Journal: A personal record of occurrences, experiences, and reflections kept on a regular basis.

Spiritual: Of the nature of spirit ...... not tangible or material ...... relating to God.

A Life's Journey; A Spiritual Journey: Same or different? There's that word, "A" again. The little word that (according to C. S. Lewis in A Grief Observed) differentiates between generalization and personalization.


In the past, when I thought about my life's journey(s), I thought in plural; compartmentalizing each journey's course separately and observing, with interest, when they overlapped for awhile or crossed paths, briefly. Then, one day, I had one of those "Aha!" moments that I now refer to, more appropriately, as "God times." You know, when what once was vague becomes clear, the 'pieces' suddenly fit and you are thrust in an inspiringly new direction. For me, these moments represent tangible evidence that I have taken another step forward in my own journey. It might be a giant step or it might be a baby step. It doesn't matter which. Both are forward moving.



It was a most enlightening realization the day it hit me that since I am only one person, I can, therefore, have only one journey; one that includes everything that I do, think, say or sense. Most importantly, my spiritual journey cannot be tucked away on a separate course from other areas of my life. With that in mind, I have found (am still finding) wonder in the marvelous ways my (formerly plural) journeys have integrated. The first time I read Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life, that integration came to light several times throughout the book by the many reminders that we can use even our most menial daily chores to glorify God.



So now, I keep that in mind when I am taking care of tasks such as dumping coffee grounds, taking out the trash or changing a light bulb. . .and it makes me smile.

No comments:

Post a Comment