“When you take time to travel with reverence, a richer life unfolds before you.”
They come originally from John O'Donahue's book Divine Beauty, the Invisible Embrace - which is clearly something to add to the teetering piles of "must reads" that threaten to engulf me...except, of course, that adding something else to the "must do's" is rather contrary to the spirit of the quote. On one level, I guess it resonates simply because I spent too much of last week at Llan with a definite agenda - things I needed to work on with God, and which it was right to pursue, -but inevitably one result of this was the absence of time to "waste" with God. I was travelling with a purpose in mind, rather than relishing the journey.
It happens that this came up obliquely in conversation earlier today in connection with the terrible propensity of so many of us to pursue a particular goal in children's/youth work. Aims and objectives can be hugely useful, of course (specially if you're dealing with an endlessly divertible curate) but nearly always, the most fruitful sessions are those in which programme is sacrificed to exploration. It seems to me that you cannot possibly explore if you have already decided in advance where you plan to end up...being open to the journey allows unexpected treasures to emerge.
So,I need to travel with reverence. Slowly, carefully, alert for the God of surprises.
That sounds so inviting.
Do you want to come along?
1 comment:
Hi
Just to say thanks for the quote - hugely applicable to me that very day! (see blog) - and wonderfully true, praise the Lord!
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