Today I walked a labyrinth.

An ancient spiritual tool, a labyrinth is sometimes confused with a maze whose purpose is to disorient or deceive. A labyrinth has only one path that is well-defined and leads to the center of the labyrinth and back out again. It is designed to encourage the use of intuition and imagination in order to increase our sensitivity to listen to God.

The labyrinth I walked is located at Mo Ranch Conference Center near Hunt, Texas. Bisected by the beautiful Guadalupe River, the ranch nestles in the Hill Country. Because my husband serves on the board, I go with him to his twice-a-year meetings and make it a point to go to the labyrinth. It is often the highlight of my trip. It is not unusual for me to have some trepidation wondering if I will hear God and what I will hear. Sometimes I bring a specific question. Sometimes I bring a problem. Sometimes I simply desire to bask in the presence of God allowing him to determine the topic of discussion. But on this visit I knew my need was confession.

The labyrinth is located on the far side of the river from the rest of the Ranch and all of the noise and activity that goes along with hosting various groups ranging from children to senior adults. Even though it’s possible to use a car to get close to the labyrinth, I prefer to walk. I have found that the rather strenuous walk prepares me for my intended meeting with God.

First, I traverse the roadways up and down inclines, some gentle, some steep. Then the course takes me across a road that skims just above the river–in Texas we call it a low water crossing. From there a shady path covered in cedar mulch passes between the river on the right and the gently rising hillside to the left. Squirrels and birds dance and sing among the trees. As the path bends and curves up the hillside, the scenery, fragrances and sounds quiet my mind and heart preparing me for my time at the labyrinth.

The labyrinth itself is a path of 11 concentric circles with a twelfth circle that is the center. There are large rocks in the center in case a pray-er wants to sit for a while. To do the walk a pray-er walks inward on the circular path, reaches the center and then walks the circular paths out again. Oftentimes I have the sensation that I have wound myself up and wound myself out. It seems that would be stressful, but the contrary is true. The circuitous walk leaves me peacefully unburdened at the end.

This time, however, I did something different. Before I started walking the labyrinth’s path, I walked along the outer edge that is marked with round paving stones just to get my mind emptied before I started. I had gone about five steps when I noticed that I had a rock in the tread of my shoe. I scrapped my foot against a paver but the rock was still there. When I turned my foot up, I saw that a rather large rock had lodged itself in a pocket of tread. It was in there so tight I had to pry it out with my fingers.

Through my prayer walk I could not get that stone out of my mind until I understood that it was like the habits and thoughts and attitudes I was laying open before God in my confession. I wanted these things to stop coming between me and God. That’s when I knew I did not get that stone stuck in my shoe by accident.  Just as there are rocks that have to be pried out of my shoes, my life accumulates sins that have to be pried out of my heart. They will not come out with simply scrapping or wishing or rationalizing or ignoring. The rock hampered my physical walking just as my sin–the thoughts and actions that come between me and God–hamper my spiritual walking.

On the labyrinth instruction sheet, Mo Ranch includes this quote from T.S. Elliot: What we call the beginning is often the end, and to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from. Walking the labyrinth is only the beginning. When I stepped out of the labyrinth, the work of prying out the rocks began.

You probably don’t have access to a labyrinth today, but I urge you to spend time reflecting. What rock is stuck in your shoe?