View from the Center of the Labyrinth

Since January I have been struggling with my taxes.  Unexpectedly it appeared that I was going to owe a whole bunch of money, and I was so discouraged that I just kept putting it away.  Last week I finally saw what the problem was, but I didn't know how to fix it, and then on Saturday I figured out how to make the fix and suddenly I went from owing a whole bunch of money to getting a refund.  So much relief!  Not only do I not have to scramble to scrape together a whole bunch of money I don't have, but now I should be able to do some things I thought I wouldn't be able to do.  So my spirits were high today when I clicked "File" on the TurboTax program.  Done!

Until I received a message saying that someone had already filed under my social security number.  And then began a discouraging process of trying to figure out what you do when this happens.  What you can't do is find a phone number to call.  The IRS says to call the police.  The police say to call the IRS.  TurboTax has an automated attendant that tells you your taxes have been filed and you should have received your refund.  Sigh...  Not how I had wanted to spend a rare 70 degree day off. 

After I had downloaded forms and completed the police report and realized that it had gotten too late to speak to human beings on the phone even if I could find a number to call, I decided to get a walk in.  I hadn't walked the labyrinth yet this week, so I headed that way.  A good thing, too, because God was showing off.

When I got to the center, I turned to face each of the four directions and this is what I saw:

South

 

West

North

East

 

 

 

 

 

 Yay, God!  Just being out there in the open air with the beauty of the clouds and the sky and the setting sun brought me peace and reminded me that this too shall pass.  The tax thing is a pain, but I will get through it.  As I got ready to leave the center and wind my way back out of the labyrinth, I got in my head and started thinking, "What do I want to get out of the rest of this walk?"  And what came to me was, "Lauren, would you just be with me?"  I smiled.  Yes, God, of course.  What could be better than spending time with God?  The rest of the walk as I turned and turned and turned again, I simply felt close to God - not in an ecstatic way, but in a simple, comforting, gentle embrace. 

And then, as I was making my way back home, I turned my head to look down a side road and saw this:

Grand finale

God sure can make some pretty art!  In the words of Julian of Norwich, All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.  Even identity theft.  Because really, no one can steal my identity.  I'm God's beloved child.  It doesn't get any better than that!