We've oriented our compass,
We've sighted our lodestar,
We've mapped our destination,
We've asked for traveling mercies.
We've booked our room,
We've packed (and
re-packed),We've checked the address,
(More than once.)
We've consulted our maps
And asked our friends for
shortcuts;We've fueled up
(At some cost.)
We've brought
confidence and energy enough to share;
We've looked back and
waved,Calling, “We'll meet you there!”
And set out.
We're engaged in friendly
chatter
When suddenly the road
looks unfamiliar.We've missed an on ramp, an off ramp, a road sign,
And we're lost.
We hem, we haw, we put on
our Brave Face,
And our worry lines begin
to deepen,When some internal guidance
Softly speaks:
“You are the compass,
You are the lodestar,
You are the destination,
Here are your Traveling Mercies.”
And one of us cries,
“Oh, how lovely—a
scenic route!”We laugh heartily,
And our spirits are lightened.
We pull in to consult our
roadmaps
And ask each other for
directions;A brief backtrack, a short side-trip,
And this time
We take the transition
road smoothly,
Changing highways like the pros we are,Signaling our lane changes,
Always looking ahead.
We look at each other and
think,
“Where would I be but
for you,My companions, my guides?”
Then we remember:
Someone is looking at us,
thinking,
“Where would I be but
for her,My companion, my guide?
I'd be lost.”
We are the compass,
We are the lodestar,We are the destination,
We are the Traveling Mercies.
Someone is inspired by
you.
Someone is counting on
you.Someone needs what you have come to share:
An act of intentional transition.
So, tonight let us gather
Nourishment for the journey,
Food for thought,
Sustenance for the heart.
Let us find enough of what
we need:
enough light to see the
path;
enough courage to take the
step;enough sense to enjoy the walk;
enough company to share the time.
We are the compass,
We are the lodestar,We are the destination,
We are the Traveling Mercies.
