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In the center of the labyrinth I am walking at the arboretum, I greet a pile of the same large gray stones that line the path here. Cumbersome and rough, the stones make me think of others who have walked this labyrinth and the burdens they carried.
Standing before this altar of rocks, I contemplate what I would add. What burdens do I need to lay down? Shall I add a rock for the fear I carry for my children? For my son to be safe every time he leaves the house as a newly licensed driver? For my daughter to survive all the wild-swinging big feelings of adolescence? Shall I add a rock for the burden of my own self-doubt, for the ways I often feel not-enough as a parent, spouse, pastoral leader?
What rocks would you add? What burdens do you carry?
As I contemplate the pile, and reflect on all the saints that have walked this labyrinth before me, a message floats to the surface of my roiling thoughts: I am not alone. Too often I overlook or undermine the helpers God sends my way, the other pilgrims walking this labyrinth of life and faith. The load I often attempt to carry alone is too heavy for one person. God does not expect me – or you – to carry the load alone.
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