The Road goes ever on and on,
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
(Bilbo’s traveling song, from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien)
Today is my last day in the office at Veradale UCC in Spokane Valley. Sunday I will lead one last worship service. And then I will head for home. Life is an ongoing series of new experiences, and then letting go – saying hello, and then saying good-bye. As I spend some time today dismantling my office (taking photos off the walls, packing up books, etc) and returning it to how I found it (more or less), I am taking my time and allowing myself the opportunity to reflect on these past few months with a deep sense of gratitude. This adventure has been profoundly transformative for me. The person who arrives home next week will not be the same person who left nearly four months ago. I have a deeper, clearer sense of who I am, and an overwhelming awareness that I am surrounded by love. I am blessed beyond measure, and the deepest blessing of all is coming into a fuller understanding of just how much that is true.
Thanks, Roger. You’ve had a transforming experience with this intrem. Blessings for the road ahead..