It was a few weeks ago that I noticed something special transpiring on a corner tucked off the main street of my small village.

Figures depicting Mary, pregnant with child, and also Joseph, appeared one day on the south side lawn of the two-story white home. Every day or so as I’d come around the corner on my morning walk to discover Mary and Joseph had moved a few more feet.

I realized soon enough that the lovely lady that lives here was honoring the journey of Mary and Joseph. I was so touched by this that I wrote about it on my blog then (you can check it out by clicking here if you like). I looked forward to watching this unfold and today I share with you the continuation…

Now to just back up a little first, I’m not one who has gone to church for I can’t even tell you how many years. I don’t consider myself religious, but I do consider myself spiritual. There are many figures in history, religious and spiritual — I’m pretty open to them all — that I’ve learned a great deal from. I am grateful for their teachings.

But it was in the early spring of 2018 after a difficult few years, feeling challenged by health issues with my dear dachshund, Gidget, that I found myself in a very dark place. As they say, hindsight is 2020, (pun intended as we all get ready to bid farewell to this year), that I’d eventually arrive at a new lighter place in my spirit after much inner turmoil.

In part, big thanks to what sweet Gidget was mirroring for me that I needed to heal. But it also led me to an experience that will no doubt stay with me until I leave this beautiful planet. As I walked my healing journey, one small step at a time, listening to my intuition, I was led to book a transformational breathwork session.

During the session, which was intense at times, it would eventually bring me to what I can only describe as a realm outside myself as I felt a presence wrap itself around me with the utmost unconditional love. I knew at that moment it was a force far greater than me that was here to remind me of a knowing I’d forgotten, and that I’d always been safe and that I was loved.

It still brings tears to my eyes to think about it.

This year has been a challenge in some shape or form for all of us. I don’t think anyone has escaped this. How often we’ve just wanted this year to be over. To be relieved of our suffering. To be shown that all will be okay. To go back to the way things used to be.

But there’s no going back. So as I’ve watched with great interest and felt an anticipated joy each time I rounded the corner to see how far Mary and Joseph have traveled (while also privy to knowing they made it), I see this as such a pivotal reminder of what we’ve all gone through this year.

A reminder that with faith and hope we will arrive at a new destination that we just can’t yet see. It won’t be what it was, but what if, just what if, it is far greater than we can even imagine?

I love how at one point the small garden shed in the yard became Bethlehem Inn. As Mary and Joseph continued their journey of many unknowns and then thought they’d found the answer to their prayers when the Inn came into view, to only see a sign on the front door that said, “No vacancy.”

How they had to muster up at that moment even more faith and hope that all would be well. To trust that the journey would take them to exactly where they were meant to be. To keep their courage alive that they were safe no matter what.

Then yesterday as I came around the corner, my heart burst in complete joy to see that they’d made it! 

The memory of my own walk of faith during a painful time surfaced again in my mind along with the reminder of the gift of a deepening of wisdom I wouldn’t now have had I’d not walked that journey — plus the unfolding of a year unlike anything we’ve ever witnessed before — is no doubt why this depiction of Mary and Joseph’s journey has deeply and profoundly affected me.

It has been a soothing balm at times when fear has tried to envelop me and a reminder that I can choose to suffer or lean into the faith that the journey will bring gifts beyond what we can even imagine right now. In many ways, it already has.

Today brought another burst of joy to see that the wise men and drummer boy had arrived… and…

yet another gift and a reminder that we don’t do this journey alone and with the best yet to come with the miracle of Jesus about to come into this world…

Merry Christmas and thank you for being a part of my journey. I’m so grateful for each of you.

XO,

Barbara