On labyrinths...and other things.

I think I'm not very good at labyrinths. I think I just don't have the attention span. Staying on the path laid out by stones/bricks/whatever, trying to still my mind and focus on connecting with my own spirituality...it's hard!

I spent this past weekend with my fellow YAVs at an Episcopal retreat center called St. Mary's, near Sewanee. We did the labyrinth before we left today and as with my past labyrinth experiences, my mind wandered a little ("that was a cool sounding bird....man that campfire we had last night was fun...I think a bug just crawled across the path in front of me..."). And maybe I didn't have a mind-blowing, life-changing experience. But here are some of my thoughts:

The path's there, right? It is stone or brick laid out on grass or pine needles, paint on a cloth, or gravel in a church courtyard. Any way you look at it, the labyrinth tells you where to go. I don't know about you, but I never think far enough ahead to figure out exactly which turns it'll make me take to get to the middle. Eventually I'll end up in the middle, that's all I know. Now far be it from me to even pretend that I know what my life's "middle" is. And this idea probably isn't new, but out there walking around in zig-zag circle-ish shapes, I thought maybe that's a little how life works. Having the faith to guess that you'll end up in the right place...that God'll get you there, or whoever/whatever it is you look to for guidance will get you there. The journey may not make sense, but we're on it for better or worse! The path is laid out, but maybe we don't understand how the zig-zagging and back and forth will get us where we're going.  All that's left to do is embrace the journey. And I'm pretty confident we'll make it to the middle. :)

So those are my thoughts on labyrinths. Other thoughts on the weekend: I thoroughly believe that everyone should be required to spend a weekend in the middle of winter at a beautiful place when it's sunny and warm-ish outside. We spent a lovely Saturday afternoon hiking, got to make a fire Saturday night. It's so very wonderful a thing to get away from your day to day life for a little while and just enjoy being outside.

A couple pictures from the weekend...

The beginning of our hiking adventure.

Bridal Veil Falls

Sewanee

So I kind of stink at taking pictures with people in them. Luckily my friends don't. Perhaps more pictures once I pilfer some from my fellow YAVs.

Love,
Allison.