by Marilyn Ehle
“…Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it…”
Matthew 28:29 (The Message)
“I am the way…” John 14:6
When farmers harvest corn, they often leave stalks of the plants as mulch for future crops or even to catch snow over winter months to provide additional moisture for those crops. Sometimes farmers will cut stalks to ground level in a special design forming paths in what is called a maze. People, especially during harvest festivals, enjoy walking through the maze to find their way out. The perplexing problem in a maze is that there are many “dead ends” and participants must start all over again.
A labyrinth—which at first glance appears similar to a maze—is quite different. A labyrinth has one pathway that leads from the entrance to the goal, albeit by a complex and winding route.
Just as people can easily confuse a maze with a labyrinth, they can identify the Christian life more with one than another. Some believe that walking with Christ is just one dead end after another. They find the crushing loss events of life—failure, death, divorce, etc.—to be evidence of a God they believe holds them at arm’s length, uninvolved or perhaps even manipulative.
But those who view their relationship with God as one where they walk together along labyrinth paths will identify God as a loving friend who knows the beginning as well as the end. While the route will be “complex and winding,” the One walking with us has an unobstructed view of the final destination. His invitation is clear:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30, (The Message).
You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2011/05/18/me_maze-or-labyrinth/
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