Kenneth Samuel: Off to Great Places
"You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways." - Psalm 139:3
"All alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
You'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on."
The words of Dr. Suess' "Oh, The Places You'll Go" set us on a path to great discoveries, enchanting encounters and wonderful experiences. But according to Dr. Suess, our journeys to exciting places and wondrous sites will inevitably lead us to the place of self-encounter.
The journey of self-discovery is the most amazing journey of all, because worlds outside of us have little meaning unless they touch and inspire the worlds inside of us. Dr. Fred Craddock said that the greatest distances in life are actually the distances between head and heart.
God has searched the nuances of our intimate being and fathomed the depths of our innermost inclinations. And God has found each of us to be worthy of love, respect and redemption.
Sometimes I wonder why God is more excited about my past, my present and my potential than I am. God must see some things in me that I'm too busy looking elsewhere to see in myself.
Maybe it's time for me to interrupt my ambitious itinerary and take a long journey home.
Prayer
"You're off to great places, today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So . . . get on your way!" Amen.