Our Journey Through Life: Part 2

The Pathway through the Wilderness & into the Light

Wilderness is viewed as a barren, uninhabited place; a place of scarcity, temptation & uncertainty. People who describe themselves as being in the wilderness periods of their lives often feel alone & lost, confused about their identity & subsequently unbalanced & afraid, living with a perceived inability to help themselves.  There is discomfort & unsettledness in the wilderness seasons of life & a longing to find clarity, belonging & equanimity.  However, as uncomfortable as the wilderness periods may be, if we pause & pinpoint the times in our lives that changed us for the better, we often will find that a lot of those times were times when we were unbalanced & in the wilderness & there is good reason for that.  The fact is, that as unbalancing as being on a pathway in the wilderness may be due to the silence, suffering & seeking, it is also often a place where deep, intimate, communion between people & God takes place.  Since we live in partnership with God through our journey of life where ever it may take us, it is important that we both; maintain communication with God through meditative prayer & that we pay attention to how we care for & use ourselves.  “At its core, self-care is all about being good stewards of our bodies, minds, & spirits in-order to become the best version of ourselves. In the book of Genesis, God calls us to be stewards of all of His creation, which includes ourselves.”  As partners with God, the starting place to finding a pathway through the wilderness then, is to look at ways that we care for ourselves.

Stepping out of the Wilderness: Self-Care & Sabbath Time

The place to begin looking at healthy self-care, as a partner with God, is to look at the rhythm & cycle of life that is stated from the beginning of Creation.  In Genesis, we read that God worked creating for six days & on the seventh day He rested. The theme of resting or keeping regular Sabbath time is prevalent through most religions.  It is the primary way we care for our body, mind & spirit. Regular Sabbath or rest time allows us to care for our bodies by promoting physical healing. It allows us to clear our minds of clutter that contributes to stress, to empty our mind of intrusive thoughts that keep us from clear, focused communication with God, & to focus on ‘being rather than doing”.  Spiritually, Sabbath rest allows us to pause from the distracting busyness of earthly life & through prayerful meditation, connect with the Divine Spirit of God, the Source of our being, by opening a window for the breath of God to fill our spirit & re-new & direct our souls.

As we set off at the start of each new day, we do not know what lies ahead for us.  It may be a smooth balanced road or a rocky unbalancing road that leads us into the wilderness. What we know for certain is that we are equipped with God’s promise to be with us all our days.  It is through trusting in God’s promise that we find peace, equanimity, belonging, & whole health.  We are all invited to embrace God’s promised Amazing Grace as we continue our journey.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind but now I see

Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come;

‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures.

~Posted by Rev Kathryn Bindig, MDiv. MS; Spiritual Consultant with assistance from Rich Muscatello; Director of Business Development & Strategy