Path Sunrise Reflection
Path Sunrise Reflection
Take a few minutes to explore today’s path ahead of you by listening to or reading this reflection below.
The purpose of this reflection is to create space for you to explore today’s path ahead of you. Take a few moments to pause…
Imagine that you are on a backpacking trek on the coast. You’ve camped along the path – planning to catch the sunrise.
Long before dawn, you awaken to the traffic in your head. In the pathways of your mind, you hear voices vying for your attention and calling for action. Sleepless in your sleeping bag, take a moment to listen to these voices:
Perhaps demanding you to resolve an issue
Perhaps tying you up in knots of complexity
Perhaps scaring you with what might happen
Perhaps wooing you with unrealized dreams
Perhaps inviting you to have faith and pursue hope
Pause and give a name to each voice calling out to you.
As you peek out of your cave-like bag, notice that a new day is already dawning. Shedding your bag, stand up and look out around you. See the orangey yellow sky waking up the sea. With each passing moment, darkness gives way to light. Observe the stone and earth pathways amidst the faint outline of this new day.
Feel the fresh morning air tingle on your skin. Breathe in outside’s coolness then exhale the warmth from deep inside you. In, out. In, out. In, out.
Look around you at the various pathways – the path that brought you to this point, those down to the coast, the ones up the mountain, and the path ahead of you hugging the coastline.
Turn your head and look back at the path that got you here. Recall the twists and turns, the ups and downs of your journey to where you are now. Pause and take stock of your learning and growth. What are you most grateful for as you gaze backwards? Linger there for a moment.
Now stand at this crossroads and consider which path to take next for your onward journey. To guide you on this quest, listen to these words from Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take”.
With your right hand, touch your chest and invite “trust in the Lord” into your heart. Embrace God’s presence in the depth of your soul. Experience the warmth of God’s love. With your left hand, touch your head; remember to not depend on yourself to figure everything out. Seek out understanding that goes beyond the pathways of your brain.
Sit on the stone wall and look around at all the options you see. Ask the Lord for wisdom as you notice the dawn’s light illuminating various paths. Call out: “O Lord show me which path to take”! Ask, “Which path are you calling me to take today”? Linger and wait patiently. Breathe in God’s presence, breath out your trust in the Lord. In, out. In, out. In, out.
Now get up and take a few strides on your path for today. Hear your boots tap the rocks and dirt. Feel the mild breeze on your face. Smell the salty air. Notice dawn’s rays dance along the coastline. As you move along your path for this new day . . . What are you looking forward to? What is waiting for you on the horizon?