I walked a labyrinth this afternoon in Duke Chapel. Someone brought one to campus and it was open to anyone who wanted to come in. It was the third time I’ve walked a labyrinth and was easier than the first couple times since I had a better idea what to expect. However, there were a lot more people walking it an the same time and the chapel was undergoing renovations so there were a lot of distractions.
I found myself having to watch my feet, otherwise I could lose which way I was headed. I think that ended up being a good thing since it cut down on my distractions. One thing I really like about the design is that you don’t know exactly where people are in their walk. That seems a lot like life to me. Being the son of an engineer, I’ve got a head for processes. It took me a long time to quit working out different scenarios of who was following whom or crossing paths with whom. After I got deep enough into the walk, that finally quieted.
I noticed that issues of timing kept coming up. It is definitely an odd point in the semester. There are lots of upcoming decisions but they aren’t settled yet. We find out our field education placements on Friday. New roommate decisions will happen soon. I think I’ve crested the hill with work for the semester but I’m not finished yet. I have an ordination meeting in May with the Western North Carolina Conference.
The overwhelming message I heard this afternoon was patience. I need to let things work out in their due time as they come. It’s not an easy message to hear but one that has come up more than once since I recognized a call to ministry. I don’t like knowing I’m meant for something but that I’m still waiting to be fully prepared to live out that calling.
