"While seeking God with all your heart and possessing a calm assurance provides a compass for those on life's labyrinthian road, being relaxed and confident isn't easy. You and I know from experience that fear and doubt are companion pilgrims on such a pathway."
Fr. Ed Hays, "The Lenten Labyrinth"
Ah, Fear and Doubt, my most annoying and troubling companions, for sure! I wish I could ditch them both in a dark alley, but seems like they accompany me wherever I go. How to shake them off and continue my journey with the "calm assurance" Fr. Ed talks about? The key is, just like it says on our money, In God We Trust. God gives us common sense (though it doesn't always seem "common") and God gives us wisdom, in bulk, if we just ask. God steadies our feet on the path in the labyrinth and gives us guidance all along the way. And, as Fr. Ed points out in today's offering, all along the way, we are already "there." As the labyrinth is a rose with the center of the rose being our destination, we are still in the rose, being in the petal portion, on our journey. Fr. Ed also quotes one of my favorite sayings, "All the way to heaven is heaven!" (Catherine of Sienna). I cannot seem to ditch my companions, Fear and Doubt. They walk with me and taunt me as I go, the rascals! What I may need to do is accept them and see them for what they are--mere distractions on the journey, but they are not able to steer me off course. You see, that is the beauty of the labyrinth, the next step is really quite clear. It is right there, the logically apparent next step. Today, if we feel taunted and teased by fear and doubt, let's pull out a dollar bill and read the sentence, In God We Trust printed on it. Take a deep breath, and pray, "Yep, God. I trust in you!" Love, heidi
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