Friday Five: Companions on the Way

Dante had Virgil as a guide. Before he had younger siblings, my oldest child had an imaginary friend named Patrick. Betsy had Tacy. Laura Ingalls depended on her brindle bulldog, Jack. All of them were companions on the way. As we take the beginning steps of our journey through Lent, who would we take as a companion? Name five people, real or imaginary, you might like to have with you as guide or guardian or simply good friend. Thanks to Jonah for suggesting this week's theme!

Hmmmm. Thinking about my present Lenten journey [which in some ways began almost 2 years ago at our General Conference, and then really got rolling after our most recent Regional Conference this past November] there are actually 3 people whom I have chosen or whom others have chosen for me. Two of those people are groups ...

1. All you revgalblogpals are my cloud of witnesses, my balcony people cheering me on as I run the race that I am called to run. You I have chosen. I count on you more than you perhaps know. I have no clue what most of you look like. But your souls are beautiful --and that is all I need to see. And your witness is extraordinary!

2. A particular group of MCC clergy and supportive laity who share a particular journey and purpose at this time. This group has been chosen for me, but I am glad that it is so. Their collective blog name shall be called Captains Courageous.

3. My DH, my Dear Heart. We chose each other just over 8 years ago, [or did God choose her for me? She appeared to me in a dream six months before we met ...] to live the journey of life together. Sometimes that journey is easy sailing, sometimes it's like the last 2,000 feet of climbing Mt. Everest ... but I would not choose differently, even knowing what I know now.

Now for a couple of people I've never actually met in person, but wish I could ...

4. Madeleine L'Engle. 'Nuff said.

5. Meister Eckhart. [Ah, but if I chose Matthew Fox I could in a way meet Eckhart, Julian, Hildegarde, Teresa ....]

I am suddenly feeling like I'm on an H&R Block commercial: "I got people." Does this mean I can throw away my bills?