Lenten Reflections: For the Sixth Friday of Lent

What is a Journey?  A trek across the country?  A simple movement from one part of the city to another?  A trip to visit a loved one?

Early in my adult life I learned the joy, the challenge, the anticipation of a planned journey to places near and far, familiar and unknown.  Equipped with maps, guide books and, occasionally, trepidation but always excitement, I ventured out.  Mostly I travelled with friends, determined that we could do this on our own, but finding out all too soon that we were not “on our own.”  We had to keep our eyes on the Guide.

 My Lenten journey this year was interjected with dead ends and sudden roadblocks but with the guidance of my Companion being brought toward a safe conclusion.  During these weeks of traveling toward the culmination, Easter and new beginnings, I have experienced the sudden death of a brother and the end of a four-year struggle accompanying a dear friend to the finality of her earthly journey.  Both have shown me the power of faith, what it means to let God be the center, the Guide, of my own journey.  Where does it lead?  Recently I was blessed with the opportunity to escape the winter blasts of snow and cold to spend a few weeks in a sunny, warm climate.  Seems my Guide knew just when I needed to make a sharp turn on the path!  All part of the Journey!

 Easter is just around the corner!  The promise of new life is in sight, but the Journey will continue.  Long after we return to our usual routines our guidebooks, our companions and our road maps are still very much part of our traveling gear.  Our Guide, our God, is still leading us on, encouraging us to navigate even the rough parts of the path that has been designed just for us.

Courage, companions.  We are all on this Journey together!