Of travels and love, lots of love

The Narrows at Dawn. This photo was taken along the edge of the Acoma Indian Reservation
on the last leg of my journey home. 

It has been way too many days since my last post. In the interim, I have learned that I was, indeed, accepted onto the ministerial path at Unity, been awash in the formal admissions forms for Unity Institute, catching up with things, and recovering from pneumonia.  So I am late. 

I love the drive home from Unity Village...I often drive in complete silence, not even the radio or the CDs playing. It gives me lots of time to process what I've learned. In addition, the road this time held a number of challenges post-blizzard. I was never unsafe, but I saw lots of evidence of people that had a harder time than I did. And it took me three days to get home.

In the process of the journey and the slow days recovering, I have had some interesting insights. I have been contacting all those wonderful people who have encouraged me and loved me, held my hand, and generally thought I was indeed capable of this strange and wonderful calling. As I go through my mailing lists, I am astonished, honored, and humbled by the number of them. In my case, it took more than a village to raise this Child of God! I have been blessed with their love and confidence in me, often long before I felt equal to it.

I’m not alone. Everyone who has tread this path successfully does so with an army behind them. Its too intense a path to travel by oneself. Even if we must take the individual steps ourselves, and we must, we still need love and support. As the Dalai Lama said, “Compassion and love are not mere luxuries.  As the source both of inner and external peace, they are fundamental to the continued survival of our species.” 

So I remain honored and humbled. You, dear friends, mentors, congregation, and teachers, have shown me love. You’ve shown me compassion as you’ve watched me awkwardly stumble and find my feet along the path. You've forgiven my errors. You’ve stood behind me, tutored me in some cases, and believed in me. Yes, I’ve made the steps myself. But I knew you were there, and I used that knowledge shamelessly in the inevitable dark nights.

Now I celebrate you in the bright days as well. Thank you, all of you, for being there for me, as you have been for countless others as well. I send you blessings, love, and compassion, learning from you those beautiful and necessary lessons you have so freely given. I am honored by your trust. I hold you in light and love. I see the Christ in you.

I will do you proud.