Oh my gosh! You're back! How was it?
What was your favorite thing?
Are you going to become (insert nationality of place you visited, in this case, Irish) now?
Now- there is absolutely nothing wrong with these questions. They came from people who genuinely care, but don't even know where to begin in asking about or understanding the experience I went through. The answers went something like this "Amazing...probably Glendalough...and yes. I could become Irish tomorrow and be happy." The battle, however, comes from trying to give an appropriate answer, based on who asked the question and how much information they want and/or have time for. The issue is that no matter how much information I gave, I could never tell it all. I could never really make them understand. And I could never satisfy my desire to give them an experience like the one I had. Because in reflecting on my adventure in Ireland, I have seen more and more how life-changing it was, how each cup of coffee and melt-in-your-mouth scone added to the overall experience, and how when God made it obvious that I should go on this trip, he did it to meet me there. Coming to that realization was refreshing and took the pressure off of inducing an experience that was sacred to me and that friends and family who stayed at home may not get to have right away. And that is okay. The incredible thing is that the Lord who created the beautiful land of Ireland, called me there to meet with me, to remind me that I am His and that He has a plan for me. I would do the whole trip again in a heartbeat, but I don't think I need to. I have not been the same since I have been back. There is a sense of being refreshed, a newness in me, that I can only attribute to the sovereign God, who spoke my name in St. Patrick's land.
I went into the trip with little expectation, knowing that (1) I would know very few members of our group, (2) I was, without a doubt, supposed to go and (3) we would be learning something about prayer, which may have been the most intimidating part going in. The purpose of the trip was to journey, through Celtic Spirituality and also through the land of Ireland. And journey we did, beginning and ending in Dublin, but seeing 8 different places in between. We rode a bus through breathtaking countryside with a bus driver, named Donald, who was as caring and compassionate as he was skilled at guiding the charter bus through little gates and down curvy, narrow roads. A woman named Kiran led our group through this pilgrimage She is the perfect combination of no-nonsense leader and kind listener; not once did we feel less than completely taken care of by her. We met incredible Irish men and women along the way, including the current Lord Mayor of Armagh, who was gracious enough to answer our questions, give us a brief history of the city of Armagh, and let us eat lunch in her palace. We saw a glimpse of the trouble St Patrick faced, upon entering this land, as an outsider and former slave. We walked along a wall that divides a city, a wall that was intended for peace, but in reality gives a physical sign of the disunity and hate between Irish Catholics and Irish/English Protestants. We visited several cathedrals and toured the Giant's Causeway. We sat in pubs and drank beer and listened to Irish folk music and talked about life and purpose. And we landed in Dublin, the night before St Patrick's Day where the city was full of energy and green lights shone on all of the buildings. We saw the parade and a glimpse of the craziness that Dublin became and we drank green beer before heading back to our hotel to have one last session and pack up to leave for the airport at 3 AM.
It was definitely a whirlwind and even as I look back over that list, it seems like the trip was completely crazy, but one of my favorite things about Ireland is that it didn't feel like time was flying by. We journeyed at an even and calm pace. We studied early Christianity in Ireland and talked about the redemption of a people who were barbarians before coming to know the Lord, much like us.
The first day we spent in Ireland was at Glendalough. We walked through a monastery with Father Michael, a brilliant Irish native, who would stop every so often and discuss a corner of Celtic Spirituality. He emphasized solitude and the importance of spending time in solitude before entering into community. Solitude is the place where you will learn and become who you are, which may be the longest but most important journey in your life. There are times when you will feel lost and uncertain of where you're going or where you are "supposed" to be, but the beauty in it all is that there is both redemption and salvation for that moment. Our guide emphasized that all we are asked is to be great people in our time... "and that's who the monks were... lovely people..." I wish I had his voice recorded for you (and for me to hear right now). He would tell stories and quote poetry and scripture throughout the day and he didn't use any notes or books - just himself telling us what he knows to be true. He would be mid story and wanting us so badly to be in the moment with him that he would lower the volume to almost a whisper and as if our life depended on the next word out of his mouth, our group would lean in, completely sold out to what he was saying and where his story was headed. He was completely captivating. And above everything else he focused on our paths to finding God. He talked about the steps we take to find him ourselves and how we help each other along the way. And he told us to keep our eyes open, for God can be found if we practice looking for Him.
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And I want to truly live... with genuine understanding and knowledge of the character of God, who pursues His children and cares enough about them to pull them out of their every day rut and speak to them.
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"I waited patiently for the Lord;he inclined to me and heard my cry.2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,out of the miry bog,and set my feet upon a rock,making my steps secure.3 He put a new song in my mouth,a song of praise to our God..."
