Tuesday, June 6th
I forgot to add a little stop I made at Luther Memorial Lutheran Church. On the south side of the church parking lot is a small Cretan Labyrinth with a stone path. Unfortunately I picked a hot sunny day to stop.
The labyrinth was a bit over grown so my tendency was to pull weeds as I walked. This got me thinking….
How well am I caring for my soul?
Am I pulling out the weeds in my life?
Am I allowing myself time to just “BE”?
Not only am I worth the time….God certainly is!!
Wednesday, June 21st
I walked the labyrinth painted on the parking lot of St. Paul UMC in Papillion…maybe not the best thing to do on a very hot day! This project was done by a Girl Scout troop this past year.
My reflections:
The urge to go fast is ingrained! Even when there is no need to hurry, that’s what I tend to do. I had to keep telling myself to slow down. On the longer curves (without turns) my tendency was to pick up the pace. “Make up lost ground”…from what?
At one time I said to myself “let’s get this done”. Yet I had nowhere I had to be. I like walking labyrinths and there was no reason I had to “get it done”. Why was that in my head?
I wonder why I want to go so fast? Where does this originate?
What am I missing along the way when I hurry through my day/life?
I need to think more about the discipline of “being present”.
Saturday and Sunday, July 8th and 9th – Fayetteville Arkansas
A trip to see my son and his wife gave me an opportunity to walk some fantastic labyrinths! I had done my homework and chosen a few I wanted to see and had printouts of the labyrinths.
The first one was at Unity of Fayetteville. The picture was beautiful but when I got there it was unkept and overgrown. It was a sand path and the wind had left parts bare with other parts thick. Kinda made me sad and of course I felt the need to pull weeds.
My reflections:
Weeding is a normal part of life.
Left unkept, weeds will sometimes block the way.
It is still worth the walk.
The center was spacious enough to walk around and had a tall stake that said “May Peace Prevail On Earth”. Yes, Amen.
The second labyrinth in Fayetteville was at my son’s church, First United Presbyterian Church, and wasn’t even on my list…a bonus!
This Cretan labyrinth was behind the church and made of small brick interlocking pieces with small stones as the path. It was on a bit of a hill so it seemed to have levels, which was a nice change.
I am getting used to labyrinth walking so I was thinking how nice it would be to have one to walk before and/or after church, as a regular practice. I am learning labyrinths are something you do for your soul. It gives you a path to walk…something to “do”, while giving yourself time to “be”. It’s a beautiful convergence.
My third labyrinth was my favorite and the most unique labyrinth I have walked. Terra Studios is an artist community very close to my son’s home. They have a stone labyrinth that is beautiful! Rock slabs jet out of the ground to make the walls of the path. The slabs fit together like puzzle pieces creating a wall about as high as my knees. This had to have taken time to build!
The walking path is made of small clay stones so it is comfortable to walk and the labyrinth has a very earthy feel.
In the center is a stone bench and as I sat there I really felt IN the labyrinth. It was a very safe, secure feeling.
It is the first labyrinth I have walked that has height. It becomes more 3-D and gives it a feeling of an actual place.
I was vey captivated by the uniqueness and the feelings it evoked.
The fourth labyrinth was on the grounds of the regional hospital. It is the first 8-walled Roman labyrinth I have walked and I liked the change. It has a concrete path and 10 tall trees surround the center.
Sitting in the center with tall trees surrounding you makes for a very intimate feeling. I sat for a long time. I felt the need to take off my shoes and walk out of the labyrinth barefoot. Because it was concrete it was easier on my feet.
My reflections:
Labyrinths get you out of the ordinary path of life. You have to decide to go to a labyrinth and it’s an intentional walk to the center. Staying in the center long enough to process the experience is important.
These different labyrinth experiences made the trip to Fayetteville especially meaningful.
Cathy C
Nebraska Contemplative Outreach 