Go on-- get lost!


All that is gold does not glitter; 
not all those who wander are lost. 
The old that is strong does not wither; 
deep roots are not reached by the frost. –J. R. R. Tolkien


Some people always have to have a path. They just have to know where they're going-- and how they're going to get there. I think these are the folks who created MapQuest and GPS. And that's fine, I suppose, sometimes.

If you have someplace you have to be, and a time you have to get there-- best know where you're going.

But every now and then, I believe it's important to ditch the path and wander. Why not?

What's the worst that can happen? You get lost. (And you may even have to ask someone for directions. Gasp!)

Years ago when I first moved to a new town, I had a mission: I set out to get lost. I started at our apartment-- and I just drove. I paid little attention to the ways I was turning or the streets I was on.

And then-- I set out to find my way home again. I made it home to write about it.

I think life is like that. Once in awhile, just stop. Put down whatever it is you are carrying, and go away. Try to get lost.

Because you just might discover that in getting lost, you find a part of yourself you didn't know was missing.


Monday Where will you go today? If you’re going out, take a different route. Open your eyes as you go. Isaiah 42:1-4

Tuesday Is there some place you always wanted to visit, but never did? Spend some time today looking for information about this place. Let your imagination soar! Isaiah 42:5-9

Wednesday Today during your quiet time, let your mind wander to God’s home. Imagine what life in the everlasting might be like. Psalm 29:1-5

Thursday Remember what it felt like as a child to lose sight of your grownup? Who was more grateful when you reunited? Imagine how joy-filled God is when a child returns! Psalm 29:6-11

Friday Have you ever considered mentoring a student? How might you make that happen? 
Acts 10:34-36

Saturday As you pray for yourself today, listen for God’s word of welcome to your soul. Rest in the safety of God’s unconditional Love. Acts 10:37-43

Sunday When you come to church on Sunday morning, does it feel like homecoming? Greet one another with words of welcome and peace. Matthew 3:13-17

I have held many things in my hand, and I have lost them all; 
but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.--Martin Luther


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stepping back. . . .

Image
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and with a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,  even if your whole world seems upset.  –St. Francis de Sales This week, I invite you to simply sit in a quiet space with words of hope and promise, and to remember, as Julian of Norwich knew, that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well . It has been a long, difficult season. Advent and the coming of the Christ is just around the corner. Peace and comfort to your spirit. Monday   “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30 Tuesday  “Is this not the kind of fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6-9 Wednesday  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
Read more

It's that time again. . . .

When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised changed, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness?  Whatever it is,  it’s welcome. –Kristin Armstrong No matter what part of the world you call home, this time of year brings big changes. While my friends Down Under are watching sings of new growth emerge from the earth as temperatures rise, here in Ohio, the leaves are turning from green to gold and orange, red and brown. The winds have taken on a chill; clouds hang heavy, like soggy cotton, reminding us that soon and very soon, we are going to see the snow . Always different, yet somehow, the same. We depend on God’s eternal ways, and trust that again this year, winter will follow autumn, just like it should. So why is it, as we anticipate and appreciate changes like these, when it comes to so many things in life we pull up short, wrinkle our noses and say No! No change! I like things just the way they are! It’s t
Read more

Starting again

“This, then, is how you should pray:" --Matthew 6:9a I have been really sensing lately that there is another blog inside me, one focused on prayer.  Oh, I know-- those elephants are all about prayer. Heck, they  are  prayer. And I will continue there, as well. But what I've been feeling is that people-- maybe you--  have always been told, "You should pray," or "Pray about that." But maybe you feel your prayers aren't "good enough," or that it's just too hard, too embarrassing, too [fill in the blank] to pray. Maybe it feels like no one really talks about how  to pray-- except, of course, for Jesus, in Matthew 6 and a couple parallel passages where we are given what's come to be known as The Lord's Prayer. And it is a great prayer. And there are other great prayers, and other ways to pray that do not involve rote. So "my plan" here is to share, hopefully on a weekly or semi-regular basis, a lot of
Read more