Sacred Wandering, Spiritual Marveling

Today, Neal and I spent time walking the peaceful grounds of the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine. 

Sacred spaces matter because they ask something different of us. They slow our pace, soften our voices, and make room for reflection. In a world that pulls us in every direction, we need places that gather us back to ourselves.

At our church, Asbury Memorial, the pastor encourages us to take the church meeting outdoors. He meant Spiritual Marveling, the “intentional” practice of approaching God, creation, and everyday life with a deep sense of awe, wonder, and astonishment. This location had all that and more.

Need I say Ancient places matter too, because they hold the memory of prayer, struggle, hope, and endurance. Neal and I walked those peaceful grounds beneath the Spanish moss, feeling the history and spiritual energy meet, intertwined in the same air.

Just like that, a sacred place does not surround you it quietly reshapes the way you see.

“Certain things in our lives should be made sacred and be guarded!“

– Robert

Walking here, I felt how important it is to protect the spaces, habits, and relationships that keep our souls grounded.

Even before I saw the orchid, the place itself was already asking me to pay closer attention.