March 11, 2026
Hello Beloved:
As we continue our Lenten journey of Forgiveness, I want to share an essay I wrote about my journey. As you read it, I invite you to think of your life and the moments that define you.
In the context of Forgiveness, consider how “seventy-times-seven” represents a practice of releasing (forgiving) the beliefs you hold about the power of perceived obstacles in your life.
Our pausing in these moments gives spaciousness to choose our course with the Mind of God/Love. This is the lifestyle of those choosing to awaken from the illusion of the conditioned dream. Its gifts are rich and free.
You have heard this story before, but not in this way. Consider what it reveals about you today and just how extraordinary you are, moment by moment.
I love you, Reverend René
The Moments That Define Us.
Who will I be, not in the future but in the now moment, when the unexpected happens?
Who will I model being in the moment, when as a leader, all eyes are on me, my body language, the energy I emit, the words I speak? Who I am and what I be is communicated always and, in all ways, before breath and vibration form words. It is already known who I am, what I am, and what I have dedicated my life to. Before I utter a word.
And, most importantly, who will I be when I know that I fell short of my own standards, my own principles? Who will I be then? Will I conjure up a story that is about someone else or something else to justify my falling short? Or will I smile, knowingly, humbly, and with softness and take one-hundred percent responsibility?
There are thousands of private moments that are not so private, that, over time, build the character of who I am and be. What is true of me, is likely true of you.
Who I am today is the culmination of these thousands of moments, millions of micro-steps along the journey. It begins with a choice, a commitment, and a willingness to practice even when the heart aches to cry out that I can’t go on.
The journey to happiness was built upon a commitment to happiness and a moment-by-moment practice to align with it no matter the conditions or circumstances.
The journey to sovereignty and Self-mastery is built upon the same thing, step by step, moment by moment.
The journey to self-responsibility, the same formula and each of these commitments lead to infinite freedom.
I was in St. John Pied de Port, France acclimating to the altitude and the reality of the choice I made to walk across Spain alone. I left the life and people I knew behind. This was a seemingly solo journey, a closer walk with the spirit of my being, in a body that had an aching, aging hip, and a heart that had been shattered, broken. The night winds and clouds crossing the skylight in the foreign home in a foreign land haunted me while I tried to sleep. I feared winds would continue the next day, my first day in which I would take my first step into the unknown of the journey my soul called forth. The first step, the first day, literally the most arduous by miles and elevation of the entire journey – a17-mile hike over the French Pyrenees to descend into Spain. The trepidation of the first step of the journey with the sound of wind eventually gave way to sleep.
The morning was calm and the sun was shining. My gear and walking sticks and I began the journey, one step at a time. I had made the decision to be a Happy Pilgrim, no matter what. I was indeed happy. I felt free. All that I planned for was unfolding perfectly. In the valley before the climb there was corn “as high as an elephants’ eye … Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day. I’ve got a funny feeling, everything’s going my way.”
The climb led to views of the countryside speckled with family farms and villages, vistas that went on as far as I could see. A stop at midday for lunch in the mountains, sunlight so bright and warm. Happiness and Joy, my companions.
Something happened, something changed. Certainly, there must have been signs, but I didn’t notice at the time. Clouds rolled in. Winds picked up. People began to reach for gear. Pilgrims unsettled. Had I been oblivious to the changes? Suddenly the thunder sounded, rain broke free, and the wind was so powerful, I could barely stand. I scrambled to get to my gear, my response slow, fumbled, unsure. I noticed couples and groups helping one another. I was alone. I had never done anything like this. I felt unprepared, vulnerable, afraid for my life. The thought, “I could die here and no one would know ….” People were hovering under their gear, releasing their walking sticks, afraid lightning would strike.
In the rain, the wind and the lightening, grasping my poles, the thought dropped in, “Oh yeah, I said I was going to be a ‘happy pilgrim’ no matter what. What a fool!” Then, I heard myself laugh, a crazy kind of noise, it was. Someone yelled at me to release my walking sticks so as not to get struck by the lightning. They didn’t know I was more afraid that I actually needed them to get off that mountain. As I clung to the sticks, I thought, “Well, that would just top off my day, wouldn’t it? What a great story … and she was struck by lightening and died right there on day 1!”
And then, I remembered my commitment to be a happy pilgrim, no matter what. There it was. A moment. A moment, built upon other moments that built the muscle that was strong enough just when I needed it most. A choice point that would determine the rest of my journey, indeed, the rest of my life. The insane laughter gave way to a lightness and levity in the midst of the storm. I knew I was going to be just fine, no matter what. I was safe in the midst of the storm. I looked around and saw that I was not alone. I was part of something bigger.
Who am I going to be in those moments? How will I treat myself when I fall short of my ideals? How will I show up for my fellow pilgrims?
This moment, like thousands of others, determines the course and experience of my journey. Moments like these cultivate the leader that I have become. And what is true for me is most certainly true for you.