"Beginning" the Journey

Here we go. Setting out on a journey. This is the first Blog I have ever done and it is very exciting. Personally I am external processor which means that I end up talking, writing, drawing etc. in order to process thoughts, decisions and plans. That is the primary cause for this Blog. I hope that as you read this and read through my Blogs containing my cogitations and musings that you will be inspired, challenged and encouraged. As you dip in and out of this page I hope you see it as observing or partaking in my journey. We each have journeys and we each have paths to take, doors to walk through, decisions to make. Journeys are exciting and challenging, hopeful and fearful, personal and shared. In the last 2-3 years of my life, my journey, my route has changed and redirected many times. Joining St Polycarps, starting my job as a Science Technicians, entering a relationship with Liz, stepping forward for ordination, making new friends, leaving home; these have all been part of my journey through life. I like to call this journey The Great Pilgrimage. Why? Because of a vision I have about life being a journey, a pilgrimage. I saw it as people, clothed in cloaks and hoods, holding lanterns and walking along paths towards a Great City. Each person has their own path to take and no other person can take that path for them. Yet peoples paths come close to each other, sometimes obscured by hedges, fences, walls, sometimes clearly visible and people can interact. However other times peoples paths join together. Other times they split apart from one another.
The point of this image, I feel, is that we all have our own path to make, to take, on this Great Pilgrimage of life, but that doesn't mean we take this path alone.  As I look towards my wedding in 37 days time, I look to my path being permanently intertwined with Liz's, and I look back at all the paths that have crossed mine, intertwined with mine, come close to mine and I look at all the routes and decisions I made. I acknowledge that not all my decisions and routes were truly what God wanted for me, but I know that I am where God wants me to be. That has required me to take ALL the paths, routes, decisions I have made to get me here. That means that God has used my mistakes, my rebellion and my daft, daft, daft moments that I am so prone to. I look at the footsteps I have left and realise that God was with me every step of the way. I know there are things that I have done that I would prefer not to have happened but as I said before I had to take those paths, routes and decisions to get to where I am today. As I look to the future I am excited for two reasons. Firstly; I know that I am on track with God and heading into the places He is calling me to be, He is with me for all of it, He is guiding me and protecting me. He is also allowing me to live life, which means making genuine mistakes and daft, daft decisions, whilst also holding me close to Him and loving me unconditionally. Secondly is because of a quote from a wonderful, hilarious film called The Infidel; "Look not to what a man has done but to what a man hopes to do." I know there are a great many things that I have done that are not brilliant but I look to the things I hope to do, by the grace of God.