Litter on the Labyrinth
Lu Mountenay
Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. -Colossians 3:13
(Lu’s time on Earth ended in May 2019, but her legacy lives on. Lu edited Daily Bread for several years.)
I saw, brittle on the path behind me-benign and without power, the same sticks and stones that once hurt my feelings, once made me doubt…and they were beautiful in their restored innocence. They were reborn to the purpose for which they were created, structures to shape the strata-scaffolding for the peaceable estate. They had atoned for the corruption of their use as weapons of mass spiritual destruction.
The sticks, once sharp and threatening, are now mere “kum-ba-yah” kindling for warmth and fine bones for weaving nests. The stones, once formidable and dense with guilt, are now rolled away from a self-imposed tomb, exposing slice after slice of forgiving light, now mine to freely radiate.
Yes…they may break my bones, but they can never lessen my resolve or flatten my faith again. I see them for what they are-inventions of my imagination, debris to trip me on my journey. I will leave them behind as litter on the labyrinth. I will not drag the burden with me, obliterating the path, scattering the bread-crumb trail home.
I will duck if I sense, once again, sticks pointed, stones hurled. “Oh, was that an insult, a criticism, a slight? …I must have misunderstood! Forgive me.”
Prayer Phrase
I surrender into your love, O God.
Spiritual Practice
Surrender
What might it look like to surrender a little to God each day? A simple prayer of surrender can help us become aware of God’s consistent invitations to deeper relationship and awareness. Imagine when you encounter a challenging person or situation silently uttering this prayer, “I surrender into your love, O God.” The same prayer can be meaningful in moments of joy and gratitude as a way of returning to the awareness of oneness with God. It’s ok if we don’t surrender everything all at once all the time. The prayer of surrender is a constant practice of returning little by little to the deepest love that is the ground of our being and desires wholeness and oneness for us and all creation.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
