Beginning Again – New Connections

Besides being a hospital chaplain, mother and wife, I am also a labyrinth enthusiast. For those who may not know what a labyrinth is, it is a singular winding path that has the same way in as out and is used as a prayer and meditation tool. It is found in many religions, including Christianity. The labyrinth I am most familiar with is called a Chartres Patterned labyrinth based off the labyrinth found in the Chartres Cathedral in France.

My journey with the labyrinth has been on going for 15 years now. I use it in my own personal devotional time, as well as guiding others on labyrinth experiences as a certified labyrinth facilitator. It is my journey with the labyrinth that healed my family after the death of our second child, Hope, at 14 weeks gestation. A year after Hope’s death I found myself in desperate need of completing my dream of building a labyrinth in my back yard, so as a family, we built that labyrinth.  We named it Hope’s Labyrinth in memory of our child/sibling and found healing as a family. Four years later, I was sought out by a woman writing a book about women who built labyrinths and asked me to tell her the story of Hope’s labyrinth for the book. She took the time to connect each one of the women in her book, creating a group of women connected not only by words on a page, but also in a shared spirit.

Fast forward to this past December and my trip to Hawaii. It just so happened that one of the women in this group lived on Maui, one of the islands we were to visit. I realized I could not visit Maui without meeting this woman to whom I was connected. So on our last day in Hawaii, we drove out to visit her and her labyrinth. We were graciously greeted with hugs.  Genuine excitement and pleasure of meeting us and sharing stories of labyrinths came through our meeting. That welcome of me, mostly a stranger, was a blessing, as was my time in her garden.

I walked her labyrinths, the sound of a nearby rushing stream surrounding me. Lush green trees and plants, exotic to this Colorado/Kansas girl, a vision of serenity. As I approached the labyrinth, camera in hand, I noticed a rock with the words Begin Again, carved into it. With our trip coming to an end and the New Year just on the horizon, I contemplated those words. The trip was not ending.  It was sending back into my life renewed in body, mind and spirit, to have the opportunity to begin my daily life again energized and rested.  The New Year was on the horizon.  Those words pushed me to consider how I wanted to begin again in a new year, living a life that acknowledges the way we are connected. As I pondered these thoughts, I noticed some vines that had grown woven together.  Once again reinforcing for me the importance of being connected. 

I was deeply grateful for camera in hand as I stopped my walking to take a picture.  Some might argue that having the camera on this prayer experience was a distraction.  But for me it was different.  Having the camera gave my eyes and heart a different perspective to see and ponder simple things I might have other wise missed. 

I am pretty sure I have not even begun to delve into the depths of everything the morning at The Sacred Garden gave me.  I know the experience has given me food for thought and food for my soul that will nourish my quiet moments.  I am beginning again, renewed and grateful for the entire experience, including the half dozen mosquito bites gained.  And that truly is a new perspective for me.