Creating the Path by Walking

I was privileged to preach yesterday for the fourth time this year. I did it without notes which feels like a real accomplishment. I see and experience myself as having a lot of room for improvement and refinement in delivery and thought, but I am full of enthusiasm and up for the challenge and practice. It's a pleasure to connect with people after the service and hear what they have to say - what they held onto, what did or didn't come across.

The past couple of months have been rich with questions pulled from books and conversations, interviews and images. Plenty to chew on.

The Black Virgin of Rocamadour breaking prisoners free of their chains, women leaving pieces of chain in front of the Virgin at the altar in Traveling with Pomegranates, and the preposition shift illuminated by Desmond Tutu in this Speaking of Faith/onBeing interview - there's being freedom from and there's freedom for - quite different and the second half proving to be more difficult.

Yesterday, we talked about creating the path by walking. And basically I told on myself. Testified about my desire to sit back and figure it all out before moving. I'm growing in this area, but having these months to reflect on the last 18 years in the architecture world and sharing it with the congregation yesterday, well, my story got some laughs. Especially, the part where I told them I sent out a letter to about 50 friends and family members in fall 2003 on the eve of being laid off stating that I wanted to be connected more to God and humanity in my work life in a more tangible way and might be using this lay off as an opportunity to make a transition.

Nope.

Just a change of scenery.

Found myself working at another architecture firm 3 months later. Ha!

I made a list of all the things I did start doing, on the side, after sending out that letter which led me to the place I am now, seven years later - confident enough to follow through on this transition in my life and not just change locations. I have compassion for my younger self and I don't want to waste any more time.

So I'll keep walking towards whatever it is I'm called to do in this life and now I've got another 50 people who know that I've made myself and them that promise. And I've encouraged them to do the same.

Keep walking, though there's no place to get to.

Don't try to see through the distances.

That's not for human beings. Move within,

but don't move the way fear makes you move.

Walk to the well.

Turn as the earth and the moon turn,

circling what they love.

Whatever circles comes from the center.

-Rumi