Traveling/Wandering Along the Road

I received a Christmas letter which began with the quote: “Not all who wander are lost.” Being a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of the quote, I thought first of his “Rings” trilogy and then thought of my own travels — in the diocese and in the world. Many times I am lost according to the maps and to the directions I have somehow neglected to follow. But wherever I am, it somehow becomes a great adventure. Once this year I stopped in a gas station and asked the attendant: Where am I? “You’re in Cobden,” he said. No, no, no. I’m supposed to be in Carbondale
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With a bit of time and his directions, I found myself in Anna and later, in Carbondale on my way back to Belleville. It wasn’t what I had intended, but it gave me more time to think about the events I had just witnessed — a gathering of people on their way to Washington, D.C., to lobby for rights for immigrants — documented and undocumented.

Wandering — lost or found — has distinct advantages for the wanderer: chances to visit uncharted or unintended spots, opportunities to meet people not listed on a busy schedule, time to reflect on what has happened or what is to come.

We have just completed our time of waiting and anticipating Christ’s birth — our Advent has produced yet another Christmas. The three kings arrive next week after their wanderings in distant lands. We look forward to this year and wishes we have for what it may hold — safety for those we love, peace for those who live in turmoil, wisdom for those who lead and those of us who might follow, healing for those who have been hurt, strength for all who must carry a few too many of life’s burdens, open minds for those who have closed themselves to new ideas or different ways of seeing challenges, hope for those who make their way through desperate days and nights.

For those of us who enjoy wandering and aren’t overly concerned if we make an unscheduled side trip down an unfamiliar road, every day dawns with expectation and the possibility of adventure. It’s not always the destination that is so important. Sometimes it is the trip, the road, the people we meet along the way that make the journey worthwhile.
May your 2004 be a year of joy and growth through unexpected surprises and a few unintentional wanderings along the way.