Finding Our Way

We have found ourselves in a lot of new places recently, and lately, we have been with a lot of people who are experiencing the same thing.  By new places, we mean both environmentally and geographically in unfamiliar territories, and emotionally and mentally in ever-expanding new boundaries. For us, some of these places have been self-imposed; we have gone there intentionally even though it meant we would have to find our way. The biggest example we can think of is our request to go to Ecuador: geographically speaking, a place we had never been before and a place where we would be responsible for finding our way.  Between the two of us, we managed to find our way out each day, and, not surprisingly, find our way back home each night.  As we became more confident, we enlarged our circumference, going further away from our base, but still managing to find our way back each evening. 

Beginning with the always familiar, it did not matter how far we ventured out, we found the landmarks that guided us back home at the end of the day or weekend or week.  We became braver, going further and further, always confident that we could find our way back.  Some of our friends and family have been called out into new territory recently. One of our friends recently told us that her boss had added a new responsibility to her job description and went on to say that at first it was a heavy burden.  But, the key to her eventual success was that she slowly expanded by attaching the new to the familiar. She had gone to a new place mentally, but methodically had found her way back without losing her mind...or her job!   Sometimes we don't need a map, we just have to learn to cope in order to find our way, but find our way, we can. 

We think of students who recently have had to find their way from locker to room to building.  But, they did it!  They found their way, and at the end of the day, found their way to the family car that waited for them and took them back home that evening. They went back the next day.   We have several friends who are emotionally struggling to find their way through family tragedies and medical diagnoses. Some of them are anchored to something familiar so they can find their way back at the end of it all.  On a personal basis, we think of Jim's father who is presently finding his way after the death of his wife of seventy years. He is anchored, but he still has to get up each morning and find his way through a
new-kind-of day.  Mentally and emotionally, his circumference was enlarged at the age of 90, but the familiar landmarks around him will secure him safely. 

We all have to look around us, find the landmarks that lead us back to what we know as our anchor, our safe harbor, our place of safety.  When we find our way back, we feel so smart, so good, and so empowered. Keeping a cool head and being attentive to the pathway that brought us to this new spot is comforting, and when we trace our way back to the place we know, we feel confident.  We feel as though we could go out a little further, expanding ourselves a little bit more.  

Which way do we go when we are pushed into the stressful and unrecognizable? For us, we just looked for the steppingstone behind us, yet never forgetting about the next steppingstone that would take us beyond where we have already been.  We can find our way back, for our Rock does not move.

 Keep looking up - to find your way!   Jim and Linda