Thursday, August 10, 2006

Panning for Gold

This will be a helpful image, throughout our retreat. Imagine a stream, with water rushing by all the time - a pretty good image of our busy lives. Imagine putting my pan - a sieve or screen - into the water. What happens? I get a pan full of stuff. As I shake it a bit, some of the smaller debris falls through the screen and I can look at larger stones that were in the water. And there in my pan, I discover a piece of gold. The message: I won't get that piece of treasure, just sitting by the edge of the stream peering into the water. I have to pan for it - sort out some portion of my experience and go deeper into it. And remember, if I discover some kernel of gold, it would be very important to weigh it - write it down and perhaps share the grace with others...
I found this such an apt image that it has stuck in my mind since last week. I also needed that reminder that we must be involved and active in the process, not just sit on the side of the shore watching everything rush by.

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