The labyrinth

My spiritual director, Ruth, gave some basic instructions about walking the labyrinth.

Then we sat in the stillness of the morning.

She moved toward the entrance first. I remained seated. The only noise was the earth under her feet.

A rumble of thunder from looming clouds was my signal to begin the holy walk.

I approached the entrance and took a moment to pause before stepping in.

The path inward is supposed to be a time of purgation. A letting go of the details of life. As I released myself to the process, my mind quieted.

Halfway to the center, I stopped at a broken rock. I thought about a difficult point in my life. The split stone with a glimmering interior made me think, You wouldn’t sparkle without the brokenness.

Once in the center, I sat across from Ruth on a large rock. Silence sat between us. 

The center was a time of pause and illumination. What else might God reveal this day? I opened my heart to receive what I was supposed to.

The walk out of this spiritual circle is a time of reunion and joining God in the journey. I stayed open to whatever was happening in that moment.

After stepping out of the labyrinth and back into the world, I sat beside Ruth on a bench.

I shared what I received during the walk.

She shared with me what she’d discovered.

Her gentle voice spoke words of wisdom.

“Dawna, in the journey, you will find that your part of ‘doing’ is modified as circumstances change. Sometimes God asks you to do a lot. Other times, He wants you to do very little. Perhaps today, you can ask God what His boundary is in this situation you’re facing. Ask Him how much or how little your part is and then let Him handle the rest. Allow God to set the boundary.”

I nodded, trying to hold back tears.

***

Our walk in life is similar to the labyrinth—it’s not a straight line. We can question, Does God know what He’s doing? Which leads to doing more than God requires of us (or sometimes too little) and unintentionally interfering with what He’s trying to accomplish.

What lines has God set in your life? Are you honoring them or crossing His boundaries?  

Would you join me today in asking God where He’s set the boundary lines in your life for the particular situation you face? Can you let go of needing to do more and just do what is right in front of you?

“Let go – just the river that flows without being pushed!”