One meeting down, I had 45 minutes before I needed to meet my friend at the coffee shop.
I really wanted to go shopping. The deals, y’all. I needed to go shopping. What if I missed it? What if I wasted my soon-to-be expired coupon? What if the nail polish and Miralax never went on sale AGAIN?!
Four blocks away, serenity beckoned. A prayer labyrinth surrounded by a Gothic chapel. For years I had heard about the labyrinth and yearned to experience it, but that desire had been buried under schedules and plans.
Shopping…checking something off the to do list. Feeling productive. Finding an opportunity to relieve tomorrow’s crowded schedule. (CHEAP NAIL POLISH!)
Serenity…slowing down. Trusting God with my schedule and time. Cherishing my own deeply held wishes.
The one offered fun, action, endless activity as I floated from meeting, to store, to girls’ night.
The other offered possibly nothing. Possibly everything. A risk. A change. A step. A path.
Tonight I chose the peaceful path. My purse, coupons and all, tossed aside on the ground while I wound my way around my thoughts, my worries, my prayers.
How strange, the feeling of courage and strength at the center of a simple brick path. The momentary fear of losing my way, and the trust to keep going forward.
This night I chose faith over frenzy. Honestly, I usually take the other path. My days pass in the form of to do lists, chores, playdates, and exercise classes. The short intervals of quiet are seconds of contemplation matched with minutes of folding laundry.
I am thankful to be reminded of the value of my “being”-ness rather than my “doing”-ness and the beauty of following the path set before me.
