As a young college student I was lost in a sea of the unknown. I started off on metaphorical journey; my primary quest was to find myself. Yes, this journey was vague, post-modern, poetic, and cliche but I had started it nonetheless and I was determined to succeed. It took many years to find myself, and when I did I was shocked by who I found.
Weird right?! Surely once I turned the last corner of the maze; when I finally found the right light switch and saw myself standing there I would have full and complete understanding of who he was! Surely there would be some sort of overwhelming spiritual sense of comfort and familiarity...RIGHT?
Wrong.
This idea that tranquility at the point of self-discovery is novel, but unrealistic. It is a fanciful thought and such a transcendent experience is an illusion of the mind.
I thought that when I found myself I would recognize myself immediately. Instead I met a stranger. But of course I was a stranger! Why should anyone expect to recognize someone they have never met before?!
When one spends his entire life looking in a broken mirror, or through a muddied reflection, how can he possible know the dimensions of his face or the true distance between his mouth and his ears? In such a discovery there will always be a sense of wonder, as well as unfamiliarity.
Frankly, I'm glad that my expectations were unfounded. Now I have the opportunity to begin discovering who I am and figuring out my limits and pushing the boundaries of my abilities.
Thus ends the journey of self-discovery, and begins the adventure of self-application.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
Weird right?! Surely once I turned the last corner of the maze; when I finally found the right light switch and saw myself standing there I would have full and complete understanding of who he was! Surely there would be some sort of overwhelming spiritual sense of comfort and familiarity...RIGHT?
Wrong.
This idea that tranquility at the point of self-discovery is novel, but unrealistic. It is a fanciful thought and such a transcendent experience is an illusion of the mind.
I thought that when I found myself I would recognize myself immediately. Instead I met a stranger. But of course I was a stranger! Why should anyone expect to recognize someone they have never met before?!When one spends his entire life looking in a broken mirror, or through a muddied reflection, how can he possible know the dimensions of his face or the true distance between his mouth and his ears? In such a discovery there will always be a sense of wonder, as well as unfamiliarity.
Frankly, I'm glad that my expectations were unfounded. Now I have the opportunity to begin discovering who I am and figuring out my limits and pushing the boundaries of my abilities.
Thus ends the journey of self-discovery, and begins the adventure of self-application.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
