Familiar disorientation

Tuesday in the First Week of Lent

God is our God for ever and ever,
and shall be our guide for evermore.
Psalm 48:13

In the darkness and rain I head toward home, along a route that I have driven many times over the years. Yet all at once I feel out of place and have no idea where I am. These streets should be recognizable, the way familiar. But the sense of displacement, of being lost, engulfs me.

I have not taken a wrong turn. I have not strayed from the path. I force myself to pay attention to my surroundings. Doesn't this intersection look right, don't I always pass this school, isn't that convenience store just up ahead? Perhaps it is the distortion brought on by the darkness and the rain that unsettles my perception. Or perhaps it is something more.

The Lenten journey can also disorient me, even though it is a familiar way with recognizable landmarks. Moments of bewilderment and confusion call for renewed attention. They push me toward revitalized discernment, and a rekindled reliance on God, my true guide.

I continue my drive. And though I am called up short a few more times along the way, I remind myself that I am not lost, not at all, and I arrive home safely.




Image cedit: immagineria / 123RF Stock Photo