Monday, April 09, 2007
Pilgrimage
By Ramone - April 7, 2007
This is a picture of me walking home after buying grapejuice and lactose-free milk at the supermarket. After midnight, too. I'd stayed at McDonald's too long reading a certain book. But walking home, well, the night was beautiful.
I can't describe how, but I felt like here is where I belong. The night people were beautiful, too. The still streets seemed quiet and abandoned, yet somehow fresh, crisp, more vivid. Alive. As if now that they were left alone, now they could speak.
I felt like I belong here, at night, with these people, with streets like these. Perhaps in the future...? To walk here or elsewhere? Ah, but I have a family now! You're growing me, Lord. Thank You. Stretch me, Jesus. Make me into the man You want me to be, that You've planned & destined for me. I submit to Your ordering of my life, Lord.
The verse... I couldn't remember the first part... pilgrimage. Psalm 84,
Blessed are those whose strength is in You,This is my life! And my name (Romero). "Whose strength is in You"... they--I--have no strength. You are my strength, Lord. I have none. But You are strong. Thank You. Help me remember this as I walk.
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
*****
What is a pilgrim? Isn't it one who undertakes a spiritual journey? Or rather, a physical journey of changing locations for spiritual purposes, usually blessings.
Christ "pilgrim'd" too... at the direction of Father, and filled with the Spirit. But His pilgrimage was not so much to receive blessings... He received the curse. He was on a path that led to the Cross, and at each step along the way He gave, and gave, and gave. He blessed. A pilgrimage of blessing.
Now for us...
He's in us. (It's no longer a matter of going "here" or "there".)
Like in Hebrews 11, we're on a journey of faith to heaven.
He has sent us, just as Father sent Him. So then...
We walk to bless.
We also walk to meet Him in "the least of these."
We walk, carrying the Gospel to those He sends us to.
# posted by Ramone @ 6:18 PM 
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I was holding my five-month-old son Timothy while watching the Hanshin Tigers (Osaka) play the Yakult Swallows (Tokyo). One of the Swallows --a foreign player named Ramirez-- just hit a home run (the Tigers are still winning 9 to 2, though, hehe). I used to dislike Ramirez, but then he started showing more smiles and humor, and now I like him, even though he's not an Osaka player.
I said to Timothy, "When you go to America, people will call you 'Ramirez' because they've confused it with your last name, Romero. They did that to me many times. But it's okay, I made it through and so will you."
"Romero means 'pilgrim', and you were born a pilgrim like me. You're on a pilgrimage in life to be with Jesus more and more, and He's on a pilgrimage inside of you, leading you from one 'holy place' to another -- for people are His temples and He goes there to make them holy, and through you He'll go to them and bless them and be blessed by them."
I said to Timothy, "When you go to America, people will call you 'Ramirez' because they've confused it with your last name, Romero. They did that to me many times. But it's okay, I made it through and so will you."
"Romero means 'pilgrim', and you were born a pilgrim like me. You're on a pilgrimage in life to be with Jesus more and more, and He's on a pilgrimage inside of you, leading you from one 'holy place' to another -- for people are His temples and He goes there to make them holy, and through you He'll go to them and bless them and be blessed by them."
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