UNPACKING FOR THE JOURNEY 

There is a Chinese proverb that I am remembering as I pack for our pilgrimage to the Santiago, Spain. Here is the proverb, perhaps you have heard it before. It states, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  The proverb puts the long walk in perspective for me. So, I ask the Holy Spirit to bless my feet as I make this journey and am remembering Paul's beautiful analogy of the importance of every part of the body. Each part no more or no less important than another part of the body. All are God's gift and all will make the pilgrimage with my whole body and each will add to the pilgrimage of the heart. So the journey begins with the packing of the things I will need to comfortably experience that gifts and blessings that await me. 

All of us have taken many trips and all of us have had to pack our bags for the journey. You will pack comfortable shoes, hats, personal things, shirts, socks, etc. If we're traveling overseas, we may put in an electrical converter, make sure our Passport and traveling papers are ready and in order. We'll remember a camera or a book, our charging cords, and swimming suit. When traveling, packing is the easy part. At a meeting earlier this week with my Interim Ministry Support team, I was challenged to reflect on the things in my life that I need to unpack for the journey. Mm! An interesting challenge. What do I need to unpack? What should I leave behind that will keep me from experiencing all the 'The Way of St. James" can offer me? This challenge is what I'd like to reflect upon in this blog. 

So much of my adult life has revolved around the things that need to get done. On the journey through Portugal and Spain, I need to leave behind the notion that I need to complete something today. Yes, we do have to get to the next overnight stop, but the miles are not so many that there is a need to 'hurry' to get it done. Can I enjoy the journey enough to let go of a preconceived goal? Yes, this needs to be unpacked for the journey. 

I've been trained to think and read by good teachers, professors, and mentors throughout my life. I've been fortunate to be in good schools and my College and Seminary years were cap-stones to my curiosity and desire to learn. I know I can do these things. What I need to unpack is a less academic approach to the journey and let it be balm for my soul. Can I set aside thinking and knowing and just be -- just be in the presence of the Holy Spirit? Yes, I need to unpack the barriers of the mind for a little while and just be present with the Holy Spirit. 

Insecurities? Oh, yes, I have my share. Among them is experiencing something completely different. When presented with an opportunity to try something new, I am cautious, projecting that something will likely go wrong and I'll miss an opportunity to experience life in a new way. How easy it easy for Americans to travel to places, comparing our livelihood and comparing our way of life as, perhaps more superior than others. Yes, even I, who does appreciate the diversity of cultures and a different way of life, still have those moments when I want to believe that my way of life is better. How foolish of me to think this. Yes, I need to unpack my own ethnocentric tendencies and embrace the culture that is welcoming me, unconditionally. 

As I pack my bags for my journey, I am also working hard at unpacking the suitcase within me so that I can fully experience the journey that I am blessed to take. My journey is beginning. I'm still unpacking, but I'm making ready my spirit to be blessed by the beauty and culture of Costa Rica, Portugal, and Spain. So the journey begins. One beautiful step after another.