labyrinth

Last week the kid and I visited The Grotto, a Catholic retreat center and contemplative garden near our new home.  Wandering around the upper gardens we came to the labyrinth.  M lingered, watching the few already on the labyrinth, and when I asked her if she wanted to walk the path she said she did.  I was a little anxious about whether she/we would disrupt others, but she proved a careful student of the guidelines posted at the labyrinth's entrance.  I was touched by how seriously she took the process, walking with care and pausing to pray at the center before we carefully made our way back out.  I think I chafed more than she did at the long, circuitous path we had to follow, and I realized that the chafing itself was my message.  I seek immediate gratification.  I struggle with processes.  My mind is quick and my intuition is keen, but these gifts come paired with impatience.  As I twisted and turned, I realized God's formative process does not involve immediate gratification.  I need to trust in the journey -- and I need to invest my time and effort, avoiding the constant (and often succumbed-to) temptation of seeking an easy way out.