Dear Reader:

Our pastor, Jeff Kackley, has been sharing daily Lent devotionals …outlining the path we all must find that leads to the cross… and beyond.

I love the poem he is using to base the devotionals on … it is called ” Walker” by Spanish poet, Antonio Machado.

” WALKER “

Walker, your footsteps are the road and nothing more

Walker, there is no road, this road is made by walking

Walking you make the road, and turning to look behind … you see the path you never again will step upon

Walker, there is no road, and only foam trails on the sea

As soon as I read this… I envisioned the Ukrainian refugees ” turning to look behind” -see the path they might never again step upon.

For our pastor, Jeff, the Covid years have definitely been challenging… and he, too, has been making a road by walking it himself. It has been a challenge that has required Jeff, his assistants and session to create and recreate new paths for the congregation to follow as safely as possible.

This has largely been accomplished by offering many choices-inside and outside services, virtual services… an exhausting amount of planning-especially Christmas and Easter services.

Jeff Kackley concludes” So we will walk with Jesus this Lent, keeping in mind that faith was never meant to be a destination… but a journey-a never-ending , creating and recreating, dying to the old and rising to the new walk of Christ.”

So until tomorrow…there is no doubt that Ukrainian refugees are praying as they walk into a vast unknown ahead and a vast unknown behind…let our prayers and God’s presence be with them.

The other ” Jeff” ( my lawn maintenance friend) came yesterday to plant all my new flowers since I am still on a somewhat restricted heavy lifting/ bending regime

He stayed for hours cleaning up and clearing my yard ” paths” -garden paths, driveways, and late yesterday afternoon it hit me how truly fortunate I am to have clean, clear paths to follow when others, through no fault of their own, except geography, are having to create their paths … ” their footsteps now are the road and nothing more.”