Tuesday in the Fifth Week of Lent
Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy.
Psalm 126:2
My husband and I look at a picture of our nephew holding his newborn daughter as he bathes her. “That really brings back memories,” he says. And I think that could easily be a picture of him with one of our daughters. He was and is tender, gentle, strong, and safe.
Memory is a navigation tool for the spiritual life. As we re-collect past experiences and encounters, they become part of our present repertoire. We can shuffle them, rearrange them, use them as travel guides and map markers. We recall holy moments, and in doing so their richness nourishes our souls and bodies. Then and now.
The wilderness abounds with traces of the paths and holy encounters of others--those who have traveled before me and those who will come long after. The sacred markers are there to see if I am mindful. Signs of strength and joy, courage and tenderness. Food for the journey. Love to be continued.
