Like the prelude to each book of the Bible I must give grounds to who I am; a glimpse into my purpose.
I find it difficult to describe myself. Mainly because I dislike the way in which we categorize people, label them into groups, subsection them off and compartmentalize our lives. We are more than what we do, where we’ve been, how high we scored on the SAT, what university we attended or didn’t and more than the color of our skin, gender or age. We are image bearers. We are created in likeness of our creator, who encompasses every facet of life as we know it. We are each unique and our outer shell and performance are not the sum of who we are. We are flesh, soul and spirit. We inherit. We are brothers and sisters. We are walking temples. We are messengers. We are precious, adopted, loved and empowered to live this way in totality.
So who am I? I am the same as you. A masterpiece in the works. I am being molded and shaped daily into the sculpture in which I was intended to be at the beginning of time when the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Like you, I am wandering through life in pursuit of truth, understanding, relationship, love, justice, peace, healing, fortitude, forgiveness and often answers. I am waiting for home; a place in which I belong.
I love what Paul says about himself in 1 Corinthians 15: 10. He confesses he is nothing but the greatest of sinners—the least. Yet declares, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” I too am nothing great, nor do I aspire to be. This isn’t my motto so that I can justify my shortcomings or limitations— though I confess there are many in which I’d be happy to succumb. Rather this allows me freedom to embrace life. To become alive. To be a work in progress not without hope of change or help.
When I find a path, whether overgrown with weeds and foliage or adorned with exotic flowers I am drawn like a bee to a nectar. Not too different from the spell-bound Sleeping Beauty following the path toward the fated spindle, I desire to walk the seemingly enchanted roads; see how far it will go and where it might lead—hopefully with a less dramatic fate. If I can snag a photo, I will. I’ve got pictures of country roads, Chinese alleys, English garden paths, traffic- jammed highways, mountain paths, river byways, railroad tracks, old cobblestone streets, doorways and hallways. These paths symbolize something more than a way of transport. I love places and things that hold stories and histories filled with mystery. I enjoy imagining what might have been, what tales or moments unfolded there and what is yet to come.
I consider myself an old soul; someone romanticizing the past, enjoying the path less taken, stillness. I want to find myself being attentive to life around me, to people, nature, feelings, the Spirit’s moving. When I see a path it awakens that attentive nature; beckoning me to journey and watch life unfold. Sometimes that’s solo and sometimes it’s in community.
Starting along the wandering way is for those of us who want to embrace our pilgrim spirits. We each have stories to tell, we all need to grow, we need to make space to find beauty in our world, seek truth and walk the road together. We are not there yet.
We pilgrim through life by the grace of God and find our truest self along the way.
If that speaks to your soul, then let’s wander through life together. Share in the bliss and the heartbreak. Learn a little, grow a little, meander, stop to smell the roses or sit and breathe.
If you have a pilgrim story to share (including photos and art) please contact me below.
