Pilgrim

In recent days I have felt a strong desire to put on a monk's habit and begin walking the earth, a physical manifestation of a spiritual reality. I am a sojourner, a pilgrim walking down a long road, toward a goal I cannot wholly see. What is the point of this journey, the long walk to fall before the King?

I have always believed that the journey was about the destination. One does not drive to no-where, there is a goal, a destination; but are journeys of the soul like that? Or are journeys on this earth even supposed to be like that. The backpacking trails that I love often lead to no where special, the end of the journey is not the point, the point is the journey itself. We walk across mountains and ridges for the sake of seeing them, for the sake of what may be along the trail, not for the end we are destine to approach. Mayhaps there is some lesson here for the wandering pilgrim in life, walking toward the eternal life of our God and King, and Jesus, our savior. Perhaps we are to keep in mind the goal, but also enjoy the journey, enjoy the time that we must spend in faith and hope. The day will come when the end of the trail will come, and we know that that end is the greatest glory we can imagine and more. But by focusing on the end are we forgetting the glory of the trail, the lookouts and the rivers that are to be crossed? Can we keep both the journey and the end in sight, so that we walk wisely in this world, with joy in our Lord, yet with the hope and glory of a future we cannot imagine?

Lord help me to do so.