Led

In the Pathless Woods

I am making my own way,

but it is unknown.

In this pathless life

I count on God to lead me.

God will show the way.

(Photo: Walking through "Pathless Woods," Sarasota FL, February 2017)

Sidewalk Mindfulness

Sidewalks can teach you things.

Each panel, different in some way
     Cracked, split open
     Cracked with fillings to prevent further cracking
Pock-marked with holes from the size of dimes to half dollars

Dark tiles
     Cream colored tiles
Smooth
     Rough
      Clean
         Dirty
Some with stones poking through
     Grass growing between the tiles - or maybe a dandelion
Power washed with some missed patches
Littered with stones,
     mowed grass,
            pieces of gum,
                  twigs,
                       bird droppings

A panel with a gutter running across it, smoothly indenting it
     Corners dipping down to make sidewalks accessible
           Sheered tops that make for uneven walking
Dual purpose panels serving as entry ways to driveways
An occasional chalk drawing
     or a pattern for hopscotch etched in cement.

And in the sidewalk, I see pieces of myself
   and metaphors for my life.

This is what sidewalk mindfulness teaches me:
Whatever the stuff is that I walk through day to day,
The path still leads me home.

Whatever the stuff is that I walk through in life,
I am still on the path
    with God
        who is leading me
Home.

Ahead

But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’  
Matthew 28: 5-7

 Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

The angel says,
He is going ahead of you
That is where you will see him.
Do not be afraid.

What is there to be afraid of
If Jesus is ahead of us,
Already there
For us?

Already there
To share our pain;
Already there
To share our joy;
Already there
Like a scout
Checking out what is ahead -
To see
Where the treacherous roads,
The grueling trails,
The unmarked paths
Might be.

He is risen!
Just one more way he is
Ahead of us,
Ready to greet us every day
In this life as the risen Lord,
And the life to come.

Jesus is the way.

About the photo: This is a picture of my parents who were walking ahead of me when I took this photograph of them on a visit to a botanical garden in Florida. When I look at this picture, I am reminded that not only does Jesus walk ahead of us, but Jesus walks arm and arm beside us.

About the blog:  For Lent this year I decided to reflect on scripture and write about those reflections in a blog. I thought that the discipline of writing something every day was a worthwhile challenge! So, instead of  "giving up" something for Lent, I decided to start something new. It has been a good practice, a challenging one for sure. There were days where it was difficult to find something to say. At other times the scripture passages really spoke to me and what I was experiencing in my life. It has been a helpful discipline for me. What's next? Who knows!