Tuesday, August 04, 2009

The Labyrinth of Life


l: Labyrinth at Knox United, r: The Chartres Labyrinth design in the Chartres Cathedral, France

Life is a journey. A path. With lots of twists and turns. Life is never static. As soon as we are comfortable with the way things are, change happens.

Change is not necessarily bad. It's just that sometimes it would nice if things continued to stay the same. But, really, is that true? Would we continue to grow as people? Or would we become stagnant.

I am definitely in a stage of transition. Or, rather, more obvious transition. I used to write in my journal every year (once I reviewed my journal for the previous year) that the theme of the year was 'change'. Haha. I noticed after a few years that this was a repetitive statement. I realized life is about change. And growth. But, without change, we wouldn't experience half the things we do. Or meet the people we have met. Or learn the life lessons we were meant to learn.

However, I wasn't exactly embracing this recent change in my life. Initially, when I lost my job, I had a sense of relief, and surprisingly, a sense of excitement about what the future would hold. I actually chided myself on having happy thoughts. But soon, the fear of the unknown crept in. And the sadness of losing a close social support network. It's not entirely lost, but my experience in the past is once you leave a job, or school, or a church, those friends sort of drift off. I know some friends are there for the long haul, but circumstances often limit that. And relationships seem to change over time. Some move closer, some move further away.

Last week, I felt prompted to do some searching for inspiring quotes on change. I also was invited (although it was sort of previously planned and discussed) to go to a prayer labyrinth at a nearby church. These two events helped me see I need to embrace this change. Regain that excitement that God has some wonderful things in store for me. Seeing a friend who also ended up in the same boat as me express the same sentiments - that this is a time for seeking out what God has in store ... and being excited about the possibilities, helped me too.

As Ecclesiastes says, there is a time for everything. Many seasons in our life. There is a quote below that talks about the continuity of life providing the roots, but only in times of change do the branches grow, reaching new heights. I guess, for me, I had a period of continuity. 3 years in one place must be a record for me. At least since I became an adult. And I was getting comfortable where I was at. Not in a rut yet. And I've been in a rut before. But quite comfortable.

I'll post some of the quotes below, but first, let's look at a prayer labyrinth.

A labyrinth (see picture above) is not a maze. It is a path with lots of turns that lead to the centre. The purpose is not to confuse, but to provide a path to follow as you pray and process. As an OT, I see the benefit of prayer labyrinths. Some people benefit from walking when they pray or process through things. This provides a great way to do that. The path is not something you have to think about as you go - it is intuitive. There is only one way in and one way out. The turning points are symbolic (in my mind anyway) of the twists and turns in life. Changes. Life transformation. Chances to reflect on the past, put away the old, and move forward as you make that next turn. Prayer labyrinths offer an opportunity to pray, to meditate and to connect with God. The labyrinth is symbolic of life's journey.

One of the ways you can use the labyrinth is to pray and think about where you've come from on your way to the center, and, if in your reflections, you find you need to make changes in your life, acknowledge where you've gone wrong and what needs to change. It is also an opportunity to accept the fact that changes happen. And begin the process of transformation and of embracing change. The prayer that was provided as a tool (for those who wanted to use it) at the church provided a good guide. The 'entering' part of the labyrinth process included thinking about how you've hurt others, about where you've come from, and things you need to do differently, and accept what you cannot change.

The centre is a place to stand / sit on one place and experience the love of God (again, using this prayer guide - there may be other ideas for what to do in the center) - through meditating, praying, focusing on the fact God loves you. I chose to journal for a while. To reflect in written form, and then move to some silent prayer.

The last part of the labyrinth is retracing your steps back to the entry point of the labyrinth. The guide suggested using this time to pray about welcoming change, and embracing what God has in store for you. And, just 'being'. Not worrying about the future. Not worrying about the past. But living in the moment. Accepting the gifts God has given you and will give you.

For me, this was a helpful exercise. I know it's not for everyone. But, for people who are kinesthetic, or who think and process on their feet rather than sitting still ... this might be a good option.

And now for some quotes.....

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

~ Reinhold Niebuhr

There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse! As I have often found in traveling in a stagecoach, that it is often a comfort to shift one's position, and be bruised in a new place. ~ Washington Irving

Change always comes bearing gifts. ~ Price Pritchett

Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations. ~ Faith Baldwin

If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies. ~ Author Unknown

Those who expect moments of change to be comfortable and free of conflict have not learned their history. ~ Joan Wallach Scott

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach to knew heights. ~ Pauline R. Kezer

Every beginning is a consequence - every beginning ends some thing. ~ Paul Valery

God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me. ~ Author Unknown

Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him. ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

2 comments:

Debbie Sandland said...

Thanks, Patti, for sharing your thoughts. I enjoyed reading this! Very insprirational.
Debbie

Nanda said...

In the end, only circumstances around you will change. Our intellect, tenacity, and stubborn belief of our Grand Designer should not be compromised in the process.