The Heroic First Steps on a Spiritual Journey
“The heroic first step of the journey is to step out of or over the edge of your boundaries, and it often must be taken before you know you will be supported. The hero’s journey has been compared to a birth; it begins warm and snug in a safe place, then a signal grows more insistent that it is time to leave. To stay beyond your time is to putrefy. Without the blood, searing, and pain, there is no new life.”—Diane Osbon in A Joseph Campbell Companion (N. Y.: HarperCollins, 1995).
People sometimes seek spiritual direction as they take that first step toward becoming the person God created them to be. It is a fork in the road, and they are always on the road less traveled. Sometimes the path is so undeveloped or uncared for that it becomes overgrown. Someone who has traveled that way before can only see a recognizable path. Therefore, we look for and need spiritual friends along the way.
Sometimes, someone may need to hold our hand just to get us started. At other times, we see the way after minimal help. Sometimes, we need a companion for a longer stretch until we become familiar with the path and adjust to its twists and turns. The journey and the first step are a birth, offering a multitude of opportunities for rebirth. Before hearing our new voice, we can always count on labor pains and a messy experience. Friends and family may have difficulty accepting our change, our new birth, and the unique path we are now on.
Treasuring the journey instead of focusing on a goal can always keep us from straying from the path.
Thank you for supporting Camp Mitchell, our camp and conference center atop Petit Jean Mountain, by purchasing this book from the daily series of writings for the liturgical year, A Daily Spiritual Rx for Ordinary Time: Readings from Pentecost to Advent. All proceeds from book sales will benefit Camp Mitchell. If you enjoy this book, please take a moment to write a brief recommendation on its Amazon page. https://smile.amazon.com/Daily-Spiritual-Ordinary-Time-Pentecost/dp/B08JLTZYGH/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=joanna+seibert+books&qid=1621104335&sr=8-1
More thank-yous than we can say!!!
Joanna https://www.joannaseibert.com/