Aug 1, 2025
Part 1: SACRED PAUSE IN THE WILDERNESS
It has often been said that: “Life is a journey, not a guided tour.” When we talk about being on a journey, we are usually talking about moving from one place to another. Sometimes we have maps that show us the physical way to reach our destination. But other times it is really up to us to find our way from one place to another. However, regardless of whether we have a map or not, the choices we make throughout our life & the view we hold of the various circumstances we encounter shape our journey as we move through life. When we start out on our path of life, we never really know what lies ahead for us. Sometimes the path on our life journey is smooth, unencumbered, & very clear. Other times our life is tumultuous & full of challenges. Often, we have no control over the circumstances we encounter along our path of life. However, we do have choices as to how we will view the situations we encounter, whether they are smooth & unencumbered or whether they are tumultuous & our view affects our actions.
I think we’d all agree that regardless of how smooth or tumultuous our journey may seem, simply because we are humans who live in this world, it is easy for us to get stuck or to lose our way as we journey through life. The question is how do we regain our vision, balance & focus so we can move forward onto a smooth path of whole life once again? Regardless of what your faith base may be, the fact is there are many stories in the Holy Bible that model & guide us on our path to whole living, stepping out of the wilderness if we chose to follow them.
I have to confess that over the past few months, for a variety of reasons, I have felt that I have been somewhat lost in the wilderness, not really sure where I belonged or what I was supposed to be doing at this time in service to God. The issue that caused this confusion for me had to do with what I consider fairly extreme stress. When I find myself somewhat stuck on my path, I generally do one of two things. One is to go to others & seek answers & or comfort. The other is to withdraw & to get very quiet & to shut out all the noise that we are bombarded with day in & day out, so that I am able to hear what God our Creator says & does when we find ourselves in a wilderness experience & then to receive the strength He graciously gives us all to live into His Will. In the Bible, we can read wave after wave of parables in the form of metaphors or experiences that reveal to us ways to journey through the wilderness. Through these stories, we are shown the way out of the wilderness & into the light & whole life & clarity in service to God our Creator.
Generally, I think people think of wilderness as a bad thing, a time when we are lost in some way. It is known as a time of doubt, confusion, fear & temptations that can really get a person into trouble. For when we get lost, it’s easy to take a wrong turn & end up somewhere we don’t want to be or should not be. However, when a person is in a wilderness time lost & doubting, confused & afraid, they generally ask a lot of question as they try to clear up their doubt, etc., so it can provide an opportunity to grow. I think it mostly depends on what or who informs your view or your vision as you try to find your way & of course it is your view or belief that informs your actions & what way your pathway forward will go. It is in the wilderness when we often ask questions we might otherwise not even think to ask or try to do things we think might help when we really are just experimenting with things we think might clear things up. It can be risky when we are in the wilderness season. The good news is we do not need to stay stuck in the wilderness when we find ourselves there.
~Posted by Rev Kathryn Bindig, MDiv. MS; Pastoral Care Minister with assistance from Rich Muscatello; Director of Business Development & Strategy