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Pilgrimage West |
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I suppose this pilgrimage started over 30 years ago… I find it interesting that I have held onto few childhood mementos – no sports trophies, no plaques, no box of toys… with the exception of a large box of first edition Louis L’Amour westerns. As a budding adolescent, I was fascinated by the narratives describing the places and characters of the American West. I have long wondered what far vistas would actually look like, what the shimmering desert would smell like, and what walking the edge of a mesa gazing at the valley floor far below would do to my spirit. As a teenager, I became captivated with photography. I spent most of my summer income on photo equipment, took classes in photography in college, and shared the passion with Janet when we were first married. We had a darkroom in the spare bathroom – it quickly disappeared when our first child was born! Thanks to the love and generosity of the West New Bern Presbyterian Church, the New Hope Presbytery, and my family I have been given a gracious opportunity to chase dreams carried around since childhood, and pursue passions that restore my soul. I am grateful beyond words. So I journey west one week shy of my 49th birthday ( Pentecost Sunday), looking towards the wind of the Spirit of God to blow where it may in my life, and give me energy, imagination, and love for the journey ahead. Thanks be to God, Jeff Sockwell
Pilgrimage West After a lengthy 29 hour drive, son Daniel and I arrived at Mesa Verde National Park on Sunday, May 20th, 2007. The cliff dwellings of the ancient ones took me back to ruins I gazed upon in Israel. I was reminded of the generations upon generations of peoples that have walked before us, have raised families and crops, and have faded through the ages into names long forgotten. Time is a slippery thing, sliding through our grasping fingers like water soaking into the parched desert floor. Slow down, the psalmist reminds us, be still, listen, for God is near… (yes, that is snow at Mesa Verde – two days worth) Monument Valley is a magical place. The rays of the early morning sun cast an enchanting golden radiance on the sandy valley floor, where monuments rise up in majestic shapes that defy description. A 4am start allowed us to be standing in the middle of the valley at sunrise with our Navajo guide – the silhouette of Totem Pole framed the sky. The next day found us on top of Hunt’s Mesa, some 1200 feet above the valley floor, where we camped in a primitive spot that could well be the most beautiful overnight resting spot of my lifetime. The views from the mesa were overwhelming, and the ridgeline walk was a dream now completed! The vastness and beauty of God’s creation was a theme that continued to play a song in my head and heart. Arches National Park completes the first week of the journey – we’ll be here until Wed. morning, May 30th. The arches are a wonder of nature, showing the creativity of wind and water to form glorious shapes. I am reminded of how glorious and unique we are all, formed by the molding / creative hand of a loving God. Thanks be to God! |
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