The Unknown Path

Copied from Elizabeth's Inbox (all Rights Reserved, 2012).

More about the Unknown Path October 20, 2012 The Unknown Path's Beginning A few days ago, I headed out on a walking adventure.  I originally thought that my host was going to take me to a flat land for some sheep watching and plant finding.  But he had another idea.  Instead, we headed out to a place near Pontypool, to a series of hills that were once homes to shepherds, then mines, and then nothing.  The area has been basically abandoned except for some roaming sheep and rustic ferns.   A few miles away, there is an abandoned golf course that is now home to a group of Travelers and their caravans, that is next to an old rugby field that a horse lives on. The area where we walked has no name.  The valley has no name.  The path has no name.  The general and much broader area is nicknamed "British" simply because the mine from that area was owned by the British.  All that remains of the area are a few abandoned buildings from the old mine at the base of the hills, some trash left by local people, and a few sheep and rustic ferns. As we set out on our walk, past the abandoned buildings and into the Unknown, I noticed the strangely clear skies, the hues of rust and auburn on the autumn hills, and the clear sound of stillness that is so often known in Wales.  My host commented that he had carved one of the paths to this Unknown place himself, through years of walking this un-named area.  His feet moved along the path that had been made through his own adventuring. In this place of beauty and nature, I could breathe again.  I had needed that opportunity to simply breathe and to simply enjoy a simple outing in the hills.  "Aaah.  So good.  So peaceful.  Aaaah." I have learned that Wales is a land that sings and calls to people from around the world.   Many tourists comment that they felt the "pull" of Wales on their hearts and that it was specific to the land; as if the land of Wales has its own voice and it is calling you by name.  Since my Mom's family is from Wales, I had assumed that the call was specific to our bloodline and heritage.  Yet, traveler after traveler speaks an account of having felt the pull, the calling, and the draw of the land of Wales. Rural legend has a Welsh word for the pull of the land, the memories of the land, and the memories of people since passed.  They call it "Hiraeth"; a word that is largely non-translatable and it is often referred to in terms of stories, history, or song.  You will know it if you have felt it; it is simply the call of the land. Many people of Welsh Origin, who have felt "Hiraeth", talk about the mysteries and history of this ancient nation.  This place, which is currently a Principality of Great Britain, has drawn people of every belief system.  It is a land of saints, pagans, and spiritualists; of writers, bards, and poets.  Everything in the natural order sings, especially the land and the people.  It is nearly impossible to go on a walk, without having a deep encounter with God or the spiritual world (and yes, those can be different things).  I can understand why so much of this place was an inspiration to J.R.R. Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" book series. As my host and I walked further down the Unknown Path, we happened upon old ruins left from Shepherd's homes, various plants, and then, after cresting a hill, we happened upon a new "Unknown Path".  Immediately, we were immersed in an entirely different eco system that was boggy and full of beech trees, ferns, and moss covered stones (see the bottom right picture for a clearer idea).  It was as if we had walked into the world of the Ents (Lord of the Rings).  If I could spend all day there, I would!  I could write so many poems, so many stories, and so many songs in that place.  Again, it was as if the land was calling, and bidding us to come, sit, and create.  The air was moist, the rocks were softened by green moss, and the air was sparkling.  This land is so marvelous.  I can't think of any place that I have ever been that sparks the imagination quite like this. I simply had to take a moment and breathe in the air, touch the furry moss, and smile.  I felt like I had discovered a hidden paradise, where few have ever walked.  The land sings.  It's Hiraeth had called to me, and I had found the land's treasures in its golden sun, plush fawna, and hidden paths. I continued to marvel at the beauty of the land, and I felt as if the rocks were telling a story.  I tried to think of all of the writer's who had visited Wales' landscapes as inspiration for their great novels and children's books.  But even more, I wondered if "Hiraeth" was one of the many sounds that God made to let people know that we are part of his world, and in his marvelous creation.  He still lives.  Just as an author creates a story full of vivid characters, descriptions, and colours, so we are the vivid images of His creative mind. I enjoy marveling at the wonder of what has been made.  Some people discount God because of the wounds of their life or because of the depravity of evil.  Their minds wrestle with the dark shadows of wounds, betrayals and hurts until they cannot remember the light.  Yet, in a boggy beech forest, I can remember and see God's light from amongst a hidden place on an "Unknown Path".  I can forget my own shadows and hurts and thus remember that God is good, and he calls to us through any means necessary.  It is as if the stones were calling out.  The Creator sings through his creation.  Through traveling the "Uknown Path", I was able to hear the sound of God and resonate with it. When two tuning forks are placed near each other, they will combine to create a single sound.  To draw near to God, his creation, and his creativity, is to come into the frequency of his sound and thus, be united with him.  We harmonize, blend, and then unify in God's resonance.  How wonderous; how quantum; how interesting to consider.  Have you ever asked, if God created through sound (God Spoke...and it was), what was that sound? In a complex world that has issues of its own, we all face this choice: to see God as good and be unified with him, or to see ourselves as the only solution and thus be separate from God.  It is true, that to be in union with God is costly, non-trendy, and may not even make you popular inside the church (depending on where you go) or outside of the church (depending on who is in your life).  The path to union with God is narrow, and few find it and pursue it. Yet, the rewards of diligently seeking God, his goodness, and our role in the "Unknown Path" are extravagant and simple: to experience heavenly bliss, here on earth amidst the contrast of this world's shadows, failings, and hardships.  We have all heard that prayer, "Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven".  It is possible that his will is for us to experience His true goodness, restoration, hope, possibilities, and more, while alive on this Earth.  I don't believe that we have to wait for heaven as a distant and far off reality.  Heaven is to be brought to earth. And in that boggy beech forest, I could remember, see, hear, and touch a piece of heaven.  For that moment, on that Unknown Path, I was in tune with God and it was good. My journey through life continues past its many and significant traumas and difficulties, towards those moments of life and light.  It is my choice to persevere on the "Unknown Path".  I am simply a traveler on this strange journey of hills and valleys and hidden places.  Yet my heart will always desire all that is good, right, and peaceful. May we each be blessed today with a wondrous experience of God's goodness on today's Unknown Path. Sincerely, Elizabeth Lewis Author & Advocate P.S. Questions about God? Click on that link.