When I finally glimpsed my destination night was falling. Exhaustion and hunger were my only companions as I made my way down the steep decline into the charming valley. I found the chapel locked and the town closing down for the night. I was lucky to find an open restaurant and a room for the night. No worries, I’d enjoy the chapel and the village better after a good nights sleep.
The saying, ‘We make plans and God laughs’, could not have been more fitting. I had left southern Colorado on a beautifully warm, sunny day wearing shorts & a T-shirt. I awoke to a freezing snow storm that had blanketed the mountain village in several inches of white and was still falling. I had no choice but to scrape my windshield and hit the highway back towards home without ever seeing the inside of the chapel.
How many times, as a child, had I gone to bed in one place and woken in another? Change was the special of every season during my childhood. Like the treacherous road I’d traveled with nerves frayed and fear creeping in, when you live in chaos those feelings are constant. You become vigilant with knowing things may change over night. You watch and listen for the sounds of can tops popping or pill bottles opening as you lay in bed. You become accustom to an unspoken language and know that although an adult is telling you they are only going out for a bit, they will not return anytime soon and once again you and your siblings will be separated and dispersed amongst family. When upheaval is an accustomed expectation, how does one learn to find comfort in stability?
Isn’t it fair to assume that normal for many of us is instability. We move, change jobs, have multiple relationships and find it difficult to settle into situations. We get labeled as irresponsible and unstable. We wear those labels and live in shame. We question why we can’t maintain a job for years, live in the same place, sustain a relationship. What if, instead of beating ourselves up for not being like others, we embraced that strength. There are positives to be obtained from constant change? We are adaptable. We learn to be self-sufficient. We don’t settle. Our tolerance for BS is low. We learn the art of diplomacy. We have compassion for the lost, homeless, floundering. There are many positives to balance us. We have only to claim them and adjust our lives accordingly!
Disappointment at not being able to explore the chapel and village could have plummeted me into self-deprecation. If I had taken the highway like most people, I would have arrived within a few hours and had ample time to explore. Instead, I took the road less traveled. In doing so, I tested my courage and renewed my self-confidence.
So what if we are nomads? We may take many deters and become lost along the way but tomorrow is another day and the highway route is there if we choose to take it. For today, let’s embrace our flexibility and our fortitude. It’s not every schmoe who can adapt so well to change.
Seeds of Hope 