My second labyrinth walk of the day on December 5th was at Bethany Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) which runs the Bethany Community School (located at 6730 S Sheridan Rd in Tulsa, Oklahoma). I’d started the morning with my first labyrinth walk at the Clarehouse Hospice Chapel around 10:45 a.m., receiving three lessons I called ‘It’s All About Love’. Now, after a lovely lunch together, we’d stopped at this second labyrinth, right around 1:10 p.m.
I felt like I was gaining Momentum as we prepared to walk this second labyrinth.
Momentum = Mass * Velocity
Essentially, it is mass in motion… MOVEMENT.
After feeling ‘stuck’ for so long, movement- the idea of progress was a welcome thought.
Sometimes faith is required to follow the right path once you’ve been shown it.
Knowing where to go and having the faith to follow that path are two different things.
Even when the path is laid out before you, the way forward still may not be clear, and that’s ok.
I felt like this tied in nicely with the first lesson – and reminded me that even with faith, there is still uncertainty.
Sometimes people follow you to support you on your journey, not to be led by you
It’s nice to be the hero (or heroine) in our story, but it’s equally important to recognize that we can’t always play that role.
I’ve talked a bit in the past about this trip and what it meant to me. I can’t emphasize enough what a blessing Andrew and Mikayla were (and continue to be). I know, with absolute certainty, that this trip was all about them supporting, encouraging, and lifting me up during some pretty dark days I was having.
They didn’t need the benefit of my years of wisdom and life experience during that trip, but I most certainly needed them- their friendship, love and support. And while Mikayla is young enough to be my daughter, it was she and Andrew who nurtured the heck out of me on this trip, and not the other way around.
However, don’t misunderstand- they were NOT coddling me. We woke early most mornings, had to exercise EVERY DAY (to include running and/or yoga and/or stretching and other methods of torture), ate mostly vegan, and had many deep conversations with high levels of accountability. It was like being put through ‘life rehab’ by people who love me. 🤣
The whole trip was about them choosing to be with me and support me in the best way they knew how!
The third labyrinth revelation summed this up nicely… sometimes people show up simply to support you. They don’t need you to have the right answers or know what to do. You don’t always have to have it together. They show up to let you know you are not alone and they ‘have your back’. And that is worth remembering, and treasuring.
It doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes, I get an ‘extra’ revelation that trickles out on a labyrinth walk. This December 5th walk was such a day:
Seek out places & people where it is safe to grieve
This bonus revelation was my reminder to seek out people and places where I can be myself, even when ‘myself’ is a mess, drowning in grief, sorrow, loss and confusion.
I had a good, long cry on a bench there after this labyrinth walk. Andrew and Mikayla didn’t feel the need to rush over to check on me or make sure everything was ok. I know they were aware, but they gave me the space and privacy to work through my bout of grief. They stayed close enough to provide emotional and physical reassurance that I was safe, but gave me the space I needed to process my emotions, and pull myself together.
I know that some people might instinctively shy away, unsure how to handle such powerful and raw emotions. They’ll avoid someone (even a dear friend) who is overwhelmed with grief Recognize that someone can be a good person and a good friend, but in those times, they don’t know how to be a safe space. That’s ok.
Just be very, very grateful for those that give you safe spaces. I know I am.
