:: Edgeliving: Master Jim and slave marsha ::

:: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 ::

Uncharted Territory

Master Jim and i had the opportunity to see the Canadian Rockies this past weekend while we were in Calgary. For those of us from places in Texas where anything higher than a freeway overpass counts as a major landmark, the Rockies are nothing short of astounding.

As we drove toward the mountains, Master Jim and i began to speculate what it was like for those brave people who first came to and crossed those peaks. i wondered aloud how those early explorers decided where to try a crossing -- what did they look for? Master Jim responded: "You look for a place that doesn't look as high as all the rest. Look for a crack between the mountains"

Uhhh... okay. Makes sense, i guess, but i'm not sure i'd want to stake my life following a guide who was trudging along looking for a crack between the mountains.

And yet, now that i think about it, that's exactly what a Master/slave journey is like.

Those of us who are slaves are too often convinced that Masters are all knowing, all seeing creatures -- or at least they should be if they are "true" Masters. They will always know the right path -- or if the path seems difficult, it's because there's some grand "Master Plan" at work.

In reality, as Master Jim noted in His post, the journey of a Master and a slave is anything but clearly marked. There are no maps, few guides, and no signs pointing the way through the mountains. Sometimes, the best the Master can do is to look for a crack between the mountains. Truly, we journey through uncharted territory. On the journey, the Master and slave may lose the way and it may take days or weeks or years to retrace their steps. Or, the Master and slave may come upon a beautiful valley, and for a time, the path is clear and the way is easy.

As Master Jim and i stood in the midst of those glorious mountains, i pointed at one just as the setting sun touched the peak for a final time that day and said, "Sir, i want to be on the mountaintop, but as a slave, i think i'm terribly far down the mountain." He smiled and shook His head. "You're closer to the mountaintop than you think."

i'd like to be able to accept what He said without question -- i know i should -- but i can't, not yet, not fully, because i know my own failings too well. But what i do know to be my truth is this: i am on an incomperable journey through uncharted territory. Master Jim is my guide, and i trust Him. Not to always unerringly find the path... but to always, always keep trying.

To keep looking for the crack between the mountains.

--slave marsha

:: 8:39 AM [+] ::
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