Walking the Labyrinth

Walking the Labyrinth…

I’m on fire! Not physically of course – how could I be typing if I was on fire? No, what I mean is, spiritually speaking,I am in a place of deep passion for, and experience of God’s presence. When it comes to God I feel… well… fiery!
To some of you, this way of being is far from foreign. For other, I might as well be talking about what it feels like to be an amoeba – it’s so far from your experience that it makes no sense at all. And, that’s why I wanted to write about it.
This “on fire” feeling is not normative for me. In fact – I would say that feeling far from God has been more my speed. I usually live in the spiritual valleys, trusting that God is there too, even if I can’t feel him.
So, how do I account for this spiritual high/low experience; how do I reconcile the down times (which are longer, and more frequent) with this current high?
The other night, while on a terrific date with my beautiful wife, we were walking and came across a large Labyrinth located at the local Lutheran Church. We decided to take a little walk through the labyrinth, just to experience it. For those of you who don’t know, a Labyrinth is a path within a large, single, circle (see image – print it and walk it with your fingers!). This path begins by heading straight to the center (for spiritual purposes – toward God), then, just as it gets close turns and back tracks it’s previous direction and circles away. Back and forth the path takes us – close to God, then away from God and back again. For part of the journey you are walking along the outermost ring, furthest away from the center, then just as quickly you are heading back in.
It took Heidi and I the better part of 15 minutes of quick walking just to get to the center.
Labyrinths are pictures of our journey with, and to, God. Our paths are circuitous routes that moving toward God, and away, and back again. Or, to use the mountain metaphor, up to the mountain top, back to the valley. The going is slow, the path is long and it’s not often easy. When we get to the top (or the center) though, the view is worth it.
On our spiritual journeys we are not always going to feel God. But, the good news is – sometimes we will. And when we do, even though we know at some point our path will move away, we should just go with it. Experience it for as long as you can – hang on to God’s presence with all your strength. Savor it – because this glimpse may have to be enough for a long while.
But, rest assured, at the end of your journey – you will find God, for God has been with you all along the way.

Where are you in the labyrinth of life? Have you experienced this mountain top/ valley floor movement in your spirituality? What was one of your mountain top experiences? How has that experience shaped the rest of your journey?