An Image Reflected: Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage

I have often reflected on how we survived the first few days and every day since that horrible day Kiley died. This month has been never ending. Memories of her are everywhere and the dread of the middle of February seems to start building in even more intensity. I keep telling myself that if I can just get through the next few weeks, then spring, newness, and hopefully a deep breath will be right around the corner. With that said, my days of late are filled with tears ready to brim over at any moment.

I believe God when He says that His grace is sufficient. I used to think that maybe we received extra doses when tragedy struck, but now I think that grace just is. It is a constant and it is sufficient for whatever we are going through. I used to pray that He would give more grace, now I pray that I am able to live in the already present grace that is available to us. His power is displayed in our weakness. It just is.

With that said, I think we can grow in the revelation of that grace. Since God is unchanging, then His grace must remain constant as well. So, the only thing that can change is our perception of God’s grace. When 2 Peter 3:17-18 challenges us to grow in grace, it is challenging us to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the ever present grace of God.

If God’s grace is inexhaustible, then how do we access it? God is merciful and is always willing to bathe us in His grace, but he also requires that we be humble, submit to God, and draw near to the Father. As we do these things, we see the Father’s hand at work and can more readily use the grace that He so freely gives.

I have become more and more aware that we, as Christians, are on a pilgrimage. It seems to me that a lot of the journey seems to take place in the desert. We live in a fallen world, and I am not sure that this is a surprise. Psalm 84 paints a vivid picture of this pilgrimage. Verses 5-7 say, “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.”

Blessed are those that realize we are on a journey to our true destination. This home is not the one we were made for. Jesus is preparing something far better for us. If we can look forward to the hope of a new home, then Jesus says we are automatically “ashar” or happy and blessed.

The verses say that we are to “pass through” the valley of Baca (which means weeping.) We aren’t meant to stay in a place of despair, adversity and sorrow forever. With God’s grace, we are to pass through. God is our strength and with him as our stronghold and fortification, we can pass through that place and arrive at a place of springs and refreshment.

Verse 7 says that we are to go from “strength to strength” till we each appear before our beloved God. It basically means that we are to go from “capable to capable,” all the while increasing in victorious power as we walk in God’s grace through the difficult and dry seasons. As pilgrims, we know that seeing our Father’s face is our ultimate destination, so we allow God to turn our tears into living streams of water.

Trying to trust in our own understanding of circumstances will only bring death to our souls, so we accept the daily fresh anointing to keep on the narrow path, even when we don’t understand the rocky and deserted path that He has placed our feet upon.

Those who grow in grace shall be perfect in glory. Those that keep putting one foot in front of the other will see the face of Christ. Psalm 84:11 says that “no good thing will he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”

Allow me to walk, Jesus. Over these next few weeks, just help me keep putting one foot in front of the other.