Speaking of Faith: Taking time to wander

By Rev. Susan Cartmell
Guest Columnist

It was just a hunch, really. Yesterday the whole day revolved around a hunch. I was scheduled to attend a religious convention in the Middle West. The sensible plan would have been to fly to Chicago and then get a small plane to Grand Rapids for the Synod I was attending. But for some reason I wanted to take the road less traveled. And it really did make all the difference.

I woke early and arrived at Logan by 6:30 a.m. Then in Chicago, instead of flying to Michigan, I rented a car and drove around the southern tip of the lake and then headed north into Michigan. Looking at the map I could see that the roads near Lake Michigan appeared promising. So, I took a chance and some extra time to explore.

There were moments when I wondered if this was a good idea. Going by the steel mills in Gary Indiana, I’ll admit I questioned my judgment. Then, there were plenty of long stretches of highway with no scenery, at all, to speak of. But slowly, I calmed down and settled into this experience. I realized that I needed some time to unwind. I needed to look at back roads and to go somewhere where no one noticed or even cared what road I chose. I had been traveling pretty fast all spring just working hard at home in Needham. One of my hopes for this trip was that I would relax.

After a while I left the highway and explored some towns on the lake. To my complete surprise, I found some real gems. One place, named Saugatuck, had been an artist colony. It had a dozen art galleries and I wandered around looking at modern paintings for a while. Then I explored an enchanting sculpture garden. I stumbled into a shop that sells aged olive oil and with no other customers around, the owner urged me to sample the most delicious oil from Italy that I have ever tasted. I found a roadside stand and bought fresh cherries and sampled unbelievable homemade jelly.

I wondered if I would ever be back here; why knows? I wondered if I should buy stuff and have it shipped; that seemed over the top. I knew I would be flying home in a week so it was one of those days where you just take what you can carry, and don’t try to save anything for later. It has always been a discipline for me to try to live in the “now”.

I discovered I was at the western edge of the Eastern time zone so the day which started very early in Boston ended with a sunset after 9:00 p.m. in Michigan. Before it settled over the horizon I sat for a while at the edge of the lake, and ate cherries and a plum, while children played in the water nearby. Then I remember 40 years ago when I was a kid at camp on this lake and life seemed simple and forthright, again.

I don’t know what your summer plans will be. But I hope you find some time to wander. I hope you take some detours and explore some roads less traveled. If the way you choose seems to be so slow it bores you at first, give it sometime to show you the gifts of this trail. And I hope you follow a hunch from time to time. Traveling mercies!

Rev. Susan Cartmell is the Senior Minister of the Congregational Church of Needham, Massachusetts.