A journey of one thousand steps

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” (Lao Tzu). In my life, I have taken many journeys, some more exciting and others more painful. I always felt that I was alone in my trials and tribulations through life, although I had the support of loved ones. I had reached a point in my life where I felt like a ship with no anchor to hold me grounded or a port to call home. One journey I had never taken was a spiritual one. My only experiences of going to church were at funerals and with the students of my school.

This journey started with falling in love and I felt I had to be a better person for him. With much encouragement from my mother and Catholic co-workers, I joined the RCIA programme at the Holy Spirit Church, Malabar. In my experiences at the Alpha classes and my RCIA classes, I started to realise that the Lord had been with me through my journeys. St Teresa of Avila said that, “the feeling remains that God is on the journey too”.

This initiation opened up my faith in Jesus and helped me to understand many aspects of the Catholic Faith that I did not understand or scoffed at. From this experience I have decided to put the Lord above all things and to forgive others. My journey now is focused on living my life in a way pleasing to the Lord and accepting Jesus as my Redeemer so that I can have an eternal life with him.

This will be a journey of one thousand steps, because I will stumble and fall, but with the Lord on this journey with me, I will rise to walk with him another day. – Makeda Granderson, Holy Spirit Church, Malabar