Uniqueness and Copies quote

"We are all born originals. The unfortunate thing is that somewhere along the way, so many of us become copies. We let others do our thinking for us and chart our route."

Soul Fire, pg 24
by Thomas Ryan

Markers On The Pilgrimage

In the morning quiet, with only the gentle waves as a tender simple melody, David and I walked across Middle Beach, and back. As we turned our direction from the beach and back up the rocks to our cabin up on the cliff, he stopped to build a small simple cairn that marked our presence and would remain after our footprints had been washed away by the ever moving sea. Only we would know it not only marked our presence but it was on the day of his 60th birthday and his continuing restoration to health.

My husband loves to build these rock piles and there are many of them on our little piece of sacred space in the woods that we call home. They are on the paths in the trees, by the labyrinth he built years ago, in places hidden, and visible posts as well. I believe we all build these markers, these cairns as we take this pilgrimage of life, and I have been reflecting on the markers within my inner being. They come to mind at times when I need reminding of the crossroads used to build them and the journey forward which followed.

In the late autumn David and I spent three splendid days hiking in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, high up in the mountains on paths that were not always easy to discern. What you had to look for was the trail of little rock cairns that have been left by someone who had travelled there before that marked the way. These simple path indicators are created from what is already there, and are the only way to see where to go, or to see where you have travelled from.

As my 50th birthday approaches the significance of the last 10 years has brought to mind specifically the cairns that mark the sacred path of this decade of my life. The ancient story that the Almighty has written which, is mine alone, with its own wrestling and tears that are part of the colour and outline of that story, the laughter and love that add fragrance, those who have walked along with me or crossed my life road/pilgrimage, all have pieces in the cairns/markers which have been created and set within. As I look at this photo of the hand creating I see the hand of the Almighty placing the pieces together. There have been new paths and adventures, sorrow and loss, and love to embrace. One must continue to work through healing, restoration and redemption, and the ever present challenge to stay in the ‘now’ and to walk through the questions and unknowns and trust the Beloved’s all embracing presence in each step.

Looking back I realize how each marker took me to a place of solitude, contemplation, and active waiting. Each one called me to be still within, yet to outwardly be moving. As I write I realize how much each cairn built in my soul also has and does call me to celebration, to the acknowledging and embracing of all the emotions, all the broken pieces, and all that was still whole. The Spirit was present in each place where the stop was celebration or grief, or fatigue. Holy Wisdom continues be within and carefully select the stones that build each cairn to mark this way my soul must travel . The Almighty knows the crossroads I stand at today and I hold the questions and search for the pieces to build the marker that will remain as I continue the pilgrimage.

“Set up for yourselves highway markers, make for yourselves guideposts; turn your thoughts and attention to the way by which you went.” Jeremiah 31:21 Amp.