What God Brings To Us

I always try to be aware of what might come my way while walking our labyrinth at St. Paul's.  Labyrinth walking has become my morning ritual whenever I am at the Church, and I miss it terribly if events conspire to keep me from my appointed rounds.  Sometimes - perhaps most of the time - the only things that come my way are the brick pavers, the blooming flowers and quickly growing crepe myrtles that surround the space, and hopefully a nice breeze on warm, sunny mornings like today.

But there are times when I am surprised, or when something quite simple, but out of the ordinary shows up.  Once, very soon after the labyrinth was installed, a trail of tiny ants appeared - running from one side of the circle all the way across to the other side - nearly bisecting the labyrinth in half.  Perhaps we had usurped their neighborhood, now giving them countless hills and valleys to traverse to get to their regular feeding grounds.  Who knows?

Beginning with those tiny ants I decided that I needed to pay attention to the little, or not so little, surprises that come my way while walking the labyrinth.  What might God be trying to say to me, or trying to remind me about, in these chance encounters?

Often it's my shadow that joins me on sunny days.  As I've mentioned in other places, a reminder of Christwho goes before and after me, and who surrounds me on every side (read verse six of St. Patrick's Breastplate).

A few days ago it was a small, gray, grasshopper that I chanced upon while taking my prayer walk.  It hopped across my path and into the gravel area that surrounds the labyrinth, finally pausing on one of the many blocks of granite that are in place waiting to mark the ashes of saints who go before us.  Why this grasshopper on this particular day?  Who knows?  Most likely just a grasshopper who happened to be there the same time as I.  But I was reminded of the wonder of God's creation.  Here was this little creature who, inch for inch, could out distance me in any long jumping contest (okay, I admit - any long jumping contest with me wouldn't ever be called a contest).  As you can see, it would take an eagle eye to spot it sitting still on the rock.  Nature's camouflage.  

That same day I caught a glimpse through the corner of my eye of something coasting through air and landing in the branches of a tree on the edge of the neighboring cemetary.  I couldn't spot it at first, but the cry of a Red-tailed Hawk has become familiar to me due to ones that live in my neighborhood.  And sure enough, there it was, high in the branches - surrounded by numerous small birds who obviously did not like the hawk's presence at all.  They constantly swooped at the hawk, which would spead its wings when they got too close, perhaps hoping to scare them off.  I'm sure they were protecting their turf, and perhaps weren't feeling too secure with such a finely-feathered raptor in their territory.  One on one the little birds would have no impact on the hawk.  But as a group of six to eight birds constantly swooping - well, the hawk got the message and moved on.

Today I came upon a small branch that had come to rest somewhere along the second circuit of the labyrinth.  There is nothing particular about this branch - though I have no idea how it got there.  There are no trees anywhere close enough to the labyrinth for it to have falling away from a larger branch.  It would hav taken quite a wind to deposit it here.  Perhaps someone brought it and dropped it along the way as a sign, or an offering, or simply because they had become bored with holding it.  But Jesus' words from John's Gospel came to mind: "I am vine and you are the branches."  Perhaps I need to pay more attention to those times when I feel apart from God.  Labyrinth walking helps me stay connected.

Finally, I am often caught by the various configurations of stones and shells people leave at the center of the labyrinth - often as prayer offerings or as symbols of letting go of something troubling in their lives.  There are times when days go by with only one or two stones present in the center.  Other times I am caught by surprise at the number that have seemingly appeared overnight.  In this arrangement an open shell sits atop the other stones - it is symbolic of my prayer for my wife, Lorraine, as she celebrates her birthday today.  It rests open side up as a metaphor for holding the good gifts from God for her on this special day.

Come to St. Paul's and walk our labyrinth.  Who knows what awaits discovery in the midst of your prayer walk?  (Photos from New Furrows Photography by Jim Melnyk)