The Journey

As the school year comes upon us and we are grappling with changes, whether it be new positions, new schools, a new boss, new routines or the unknown needs of our new students. If you are like me you have to ask God to bury any doubt, anxiety, fear, and for some, even anger. When I do this, the Holy Spirit renews me with gentle reminders of the gifts of the Spirit and the strength within me.

When I focus on God’s purpose and His will, these other temptations that take over my spirit become weaker. This year when teachers enter the media center at my school for the “longed for” faculty meeting on the first day back, a scallop shell will be placed in front of them.

A quick google search will lead to multiple blogs and reflections on the scallop shell - some Christian and some dating back to ancient mythology. They are a symbol of birth, baptism, and good fortune. The most striking symbolism for me derives from the relationship of the scallop shell and Christian history related to St. James and the Road to Santiago where St. Jame's remains are buried. It has always been on my bucket list to walk, “The Way.”

One website states describes the scallop shell as, “a symbol that guides pilgrims along the way towards their ultimate destination, and is frequently worn by those who embark on such a journey.”
We all know that each school year brings with it a new journey, remarkably different from the year before and in some sense we are all pilgrims.

Here is a description I found quite moving. The full article is found here:

“St. James was an ordinary pilgrim like the rest of us. He walked a long difficult road with Jesus; he was imprisoned by his raging emotions, and he went through metaphoric fires to free himself and discover the vastness of his spirit. He learned how to live an authentic, peaceful life and he shared his personal lessons with others….

…we are all undertaking our own unique journeys, governed by the lessons that we need to learn, and the people that we are evolving into…

..No two pilgrims are alike, and though we walk the same roads on the outside, our inner pathways wind through very different emotional landscapes.

…The Scallop Shell has many grooved lines that lead from the outer rim to a meeting point at the base. The shell itself represents the many different spiritual/religious/humanist pathways that lead to the same place, to the universal centre of all life-forms, the spirit, the soul…

We are all on the outer rim of the spirit, struggling to find our way back to our centre. The Scallop Shell reminds us why we are walking, especially at the points when the journey feels too hard and we want to give up.

….It reminds us to focus on our journey only, and that each person has their own story that is unfolding. It reminds us that we are all ultimately one sacred soul, and that each of our roads are leading back to each other.”

Organizations talk a lot about their mission and their vision. While each church often has their parish mission on the front page of their bulletin, as Christians our ultimate vision is to live a life of holiness and to become a saint. I share in the church's mission through commitment to becoming a well-formed, intentional disciple with my first responsibility being to myself, husband, and children and extended outward from there.

Likewise as a leader in my school, I know that my vision is to support well-formed, intentional educators who are encouraged and empowered to use their strengths to carry out their passions as they all walk the different paths toward our shared vision. They will influence others in positive ways as sharing their gifts will bring joy to those they encounter. They will love more deeply and this alone is the antidote to a sense of failure even when we encounter challenges or changes.

Ultimately, allowing people to work within their passions and share their wisdom with others or strengthen systems through their talents will lead to a sense of fulfillment that will permeate and inspire others. This mindset is echoed in George Couros book The Innovator’s Mindset.

So often we think only of our weaknesses, setting goal after goal to improve upon it. But will our weaknesses improve unintentionally if we take time with Jesus and Mary to find out how we might do His will by living out fully the gifts given to us?

I argue that by taking the time to reflect upon our strengths and asking God to use them fully to carry out His plan requires us to humble ourselves.

By identifying our strengths we must also admit to our weaknesses. Through this awareness we must consciously allow others “into” the space between our strengths and weaknesses to be the glue.

We must depend on others, trust their gifts, and believe in them too. Together, in community, we become more holy with our sights set on the ultimate vision.

It is hard not to depend on ourselves for everything, even if we feel we are the type of disciple who gives everything to God. While this may be true, let’s also be honest....there is a temptation to work alone at times rather than work together.

The choleric wants to maintain total control. The melancholic must find a way to trust what unfolds and avoid over-analyzing in an unhealthy way.  The phlegmatic might be pressed to do something new and is afraid of how it might affect others, be fearful of unfavorable consequences, or stepping on someone’s toes. The sanguine will relinquish a sense of their free-spirit and be challenged to share the spotlight.

While we may walk our own path, it is by trusting in others along the way that we meet our destination.


It is within this deeply intimate place we discover Christ.

Relationships grow.

Relationships are tested.

Our love is carried out upon different paths, and as the scallop shell illustrates, leads us to the same destination- a soul draped in the mantle of Mary’s love and prepared for heaven to meet our Lord where will be with Him in the place He has prepared for us.