Journaling Archives - Page 5 of 68

Keep your head down

“Keep your head down, take one step at a time,” is what I found myself thinking and telling one of my companions on the Camino de Santiago. During the coronavirus pandemic, I’m feeling called to continue writing about my Camino and the lessons learned. As I shelter in place, I think about how I’m being called. I wonder what the life-altering lessons are. I wonder how I will be forever changed. As I pondered all these things, I thought to myself, “I’ve been here before.” Indeed, it was just a year ago that I was asking myself these same questions. So, now is the perfect time to get back to my Camino journal to continue to elaborate on the lessons learned last year. I’m pretty sure, the lessons can be applied to this current communal journey we’re on. So here it goes.

Two days into our trip and the first day of actual hiking we tackled the Pyrenees. We had a feeling it was going to be difficult. Included in our preparation was reading posts, books and websites about the Camino. We consulted with our parish priest who had completed the journey just a year before. All I can say is you will never be truly prepared for what you will encounter while climbing the Pyrenees mountains. You will never know until you attempt it yourself. My descriptions can’t even come close to what it was like.

Take one step at a time

Imagine walking in a straight line vertically! THAT’S what it felt like. There was no plateau, no flattening, no reprieve, just constant uphill walking for almost 5 miles. Each time I looked ahead, I felt discouraged and wondered how the heck I could keep on going. As the days continued, we would encounter some really steep inclines up and down. Somedays, the incline came at the end of a very long hike.

After the first few days, I decided I couldn’t keep looking up the hill to see where I was heading. I had to keep my eyes focused on where I was planting my feet. I decided to focus on every small step forward. One step at a time. I could DO that! So as I continued on the Camino, the moment I noticed I was coming to a steep incline upward, I would immediately look down at my feet and simply focus on the next step.

Focus on the present

Then it occurred to me! The lesson became clear. In life we will all experience hills and valleys. Sometimes those hills seem insurmountable. We go from start to finish in our minds and wonder how we’re going to make it. It seems like a long road because of our approach. We run from the present to the future. If this Camino taught me anything, it taught me that I can get through the steepest hills if I stay focused on the present.

Hills and valleys will no doubt find their way into our lives but we CAN scale those mountains. We just have to change our perception and approach to the hill. There is no way around it – the only way is through, one small step at a time!

Remembering this lesson has helped me cope with this pandemic. One day at a time. I can’t focus on “what ifs” – I can only focus on what IS. I can’t grumble at the fact that I can’t socialize like I used to or be as carefree as I used to. But I can focus on the fact that today I am healthy, praise be to God. I can embrace the solitude and silence. It’s here to teach me something! Our God is so awesome, He’s given many of us an opportunity to retreat for an extended period of time without feeling guilty. Can we settle down and hear His voice?

Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel! — Ashes to ashes

Be faithful to the Gospel! Soooooo, here we are – the start of another “pilgrimage” if you will. Lent has begun and many people have thought about or are just now thinking about what they will “give up” for Lent.

my plans

I have to admit, for the past few years I’ve given up less and resolved to do more in the spiritual arena. My hope was to grow spiritually and possibly maintain the momentum even after the season was over. I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

However, I like to change things up every so often. So the past few weeks I’ve thought about how this season of Lent would be different than years past. I’ve wondered about how I could step out of my comfort zone. I have to admit, I got nothing! I mean, yes, I’m giving up social media, possibly chocolate – but I feel like that’s so juvenile. I’m not a teen anymore. Personally, I think I should do better than that. I’m not judging here, I’m just speaking for myself.

god’s plans

So I woke up this morning, at 3:15a.m. (you thought 4 am was early?!) a bit anxious about not having committed to any specific thing. I didn’t feel prepared to start the season off right. But you know how I always say: God provides a theme! I sat with my coffee and picked up my phone to read my daily reflections from Richard Rohr and World Community of Christian Meditation and there it was – one entitled: Lent Reflections 2020.

“Ugh”, I thought. Here I go. I will wake up every morning, for the next few weeks, and worry about getting through all the reflections I subscribed to. I will retain very little. You know what? I don’t want to do that this time! That’s how I’m going to change it up this year. I’m going to focus on just being – but after I read this first reflection. LAUGH OUT LOUD! Here’s where the theme comes in – man God is sooooo good! Here’s what I read:

WCCM – Lent Reflection 2020

The real mystery of the human is that we are so convinced that we have to get somewhere, failing to realize that we are already there. We wouldn’t be thinking of goals and objectives unless they were already activated in our personal consciousness. So, let’s start Lent today with the Resurrection.

Without the Resurrection, Lent would be a dull, self-centered time devoted to cultivating one’s own spiritual garden. We would be concerned only with giving things up that we like or doing difficult things that we think would be good for us. Maybe they would be, but motivation is everything. Many, Catholics especially, today will be having a conversation about what they are ‘doing for Lent’ often with a humorous tone and a little bit of religious competitiveness. “If he is giving up alcohol for Lent, maybe I should as well.” Jesus’ teaching on all this is clear. Don’t publicize your ‘good deeds’ and even ‘don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.’ If this sounds very complex and challenging, in fact it is ridiculously simple.

When spiritual practice is covertly run by the ego (and most things are) we unconsciously slip into thinking that progress, coming closer to God, is linked to suffering or voluntary discomfort. It’s like thinking that we have to do something unpleasant to make someone who already loves us continue loving us. We don’t feel worthy. We don’t trust. We hedge our bets. God must be having a good laugh at our reluctance to believe the obvious.

Like meditation, Lent isn’t about spiritual leverage over God or about taking back control of our spiritual journey. As we begin Lent, let’s decide, with the simplest motivation, whether we will do something or do nothing. (Her mother told the young Queen in the TV series The Crown that doing nothing is the most difficult thing.) The gift today is to determine to more deeply believe the gift of God’s love. This is impossible until we feel that God actually likes us.

Let’s try this Lent to shed whatever remains of our pagan, ego-colored idea of God and so prepare for the resurrection by living in the new light of Christ. The old gods died when devotion to them dried up. They looked powerful but, like celebrities, they feed off human attention and wither when it fails.

The true God is far more real and interesting and infinitely friendly. So, something or nothing? Simply being more faithful to our daily times of meditation and to the simplicity of the mantra combines both options. (As John Main said ‘prayer is the essential ascesis of the Christian life.’) – Laurence Freeman, OSB

commitment

So there you have it! Today we’re reminded to “be faithful.” This year I’m not going to worry about what I’m doing for Lent and how faithful I’m being to my commitment to “doing.” I AM going to focus on “being” for Lent – being present, being at peace, being in meditation. I will worry about how faithful I’m being to just being! What will you commit to? How will you step out of your comfort zone? I would love to hear from you. Please share your journey with us in the comment section.