Thursday, May 15

Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
—Psalm 77:19

What route did you take to get here? For some people, this can be a real conversation starter. Did you drive the back way, passing through small communities with few or no traffic lights, or did you take the interstate, stopping to shop at the outlet mall? Did you chance driving over the icy mountain pass, or did you play it safe and go the longer way around? Our routes are part of our selves.

Consequently, another way of “writing” a spiritual autobiography is to create a map of our lives, a visual representation of where we have been and what we have done through the years. This is something we might actually draw, beginning with images from our childhood—the homes we lived in, the places where we played, the hideaways we saw as our own—and continuing into the present. An alternative would be to use photographs, creating a montage either by hand or with the aid of a computer.

The final product can reflect not only our sense of connection with a certain landscape and people, but also our values and spirituality. It can show, for example, how important close community has been in our lives or how necessary wild spaces have been. Are we by nature more contemplative than active? Does our route through life suggest a feeling of belonging and stability, or does it point to a sense of estrangement?

Whether we’ve traveled far in our lives or stayed fairly close to home, the itinerary we’ve followed says much about who we are and much about what we hold sacred.

O God, as I look back on my life, help me to see how the route that I’ve taken has formed me, and how you have revealed yourself to me on the way.

The Signposts for May are written by Susan Hanson and originally appeared on explorefaith.org in September 2004.