Traveling Mercies. What does that really mean? I suspect it means different things to different people from different traditions. The phrase bounds into my head daily as a think of my son who has headed off for another journey. My prayer for him is that he receives traveling mercies. At the most simple level it means have a good trip. For Collin however, I hope for more. Yes, I pray he has a safe journey, he doesn't get sick, lost, mugged or frightened. These prayers are given! But I hope for more. I gave him a small stone with the word grace carved into it. I believe for his highly tuned atheistic and analytical mind, grace is a word he has trouble with. I explained to him that grace to me has many different meanings. One meaning I am really drawn to is elegance of motion. Another.......is more of a prayer book version. Grace is God's favor that enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts and strengthens our wills. My prayer for Collin is that he grasps the gift of grace while journeying so he can not only embrace it and celebrate it in himself but share it with those he meets. Just as the three wise men represent a kind of bravery of spirit and a curiosity that leads them into far away places so does my son; this stargazer.
"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time." TS Eliot
Traveling Mercies Male Child
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