Show Us the Way . . . A Labyrinth Reflection

To be quite honest, I had zero expectations concerning the Labyrinth, aside from the fact that the Labyrinth was a mat and did not have actual walls (thank you for that information, Kiley). We have been physically away from church for so long that I enjoy finding ways of implementing church into our everyday lives in any way possible. I have been so grateful for the church’s help with that, especially in tangible ways for the kids to experience the stories–such as with the Advent or Lenten bags and finding ways to have our kids connect with the church again through telling the stories themselves through video. The times when we have participated in events at the church over the past year have been incredibly special, as we are being re-introduced to it each time we go.

For those of you who don’t know, I have two boys–ages 7 & 3 (almost 4)–and they are wild, so my hope when I was considering our participation in the Labyrinth was just for them to do what was asked of them in some way, shape, or form and maybe they could take something away from it. Teach them in the ways they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it. We read the instructions, although we didn’t think either were listening and they went their own way, as they do. Justin and I were demonstrating for them how to do it correctly. Each of us had a rock in our hands and each of us had a different impression. It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit works in our lives exactly how we need it. For Justin, the rock represented a burden that once laid down made the trip back through increasingly lighter. As for me, I imagined the rock as Jesus holding my hand as he says he will do each step of our lives, through all of the twists and turns. Of course, initially I was attempting to figure out the pattern as I walked, and then decided to just enjoy the journey weaving back and forth. It reminded me that we can rest knowing that Jesus knows the way and is leading us by taking us by the hand, just as we often do with our kids. I kept my rock in my hand the whole way as it didn’t represent a burden to me, but a companion always with me. As I neared the end of my journey, my youngest ran up to me and hugged me. The Holy Spirit spoke to me in that moment–this was a picture of our actual journey of life and how sweet it is to have someone waiting for us at the end of our journey to greet us with a giant hug and welcome us home. We had finally made it and my youngest represented those loved ones of ours that we will see again one day, racing to give us that big hug after being apart for so long and the long-awaited reunion with the one who loves us most of all–our creator, our savior, our eternal guide.

I ended up being so moved by the process and was gifted with a photo Pastor Paul took of that hugging moment at the end of my journey. This way I can always keep that image in my mind and refresh that feeling in my soul of what I experienced. It is incredible how perfectly the Holy Spirit works within us simply when we come into his presence with an open heart and mind to what God may be revealing to us.

The Clemens Family