Sometimes what we are looking for is not lost at all. It is always with us. But, consumed by obligations and desires, we search for meaning on the surface of our lives neglecting the need to go inward. We accumulate experiences like a traveler accumulates miles, but unless we examine where we’ve been and what our encounters reveal, our journey will seem like little more than a list of destinations.

In his book New Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton wrote, “To work out our own identity in God, which the Bible calls ‘working out our salvation,’ is a labor that requires sacrifice and anguish, risk and many tears. It demands close attention to reality at every moment, and great fidelity to God as He reveals Himself, obscurely, in the mystery of each new situation. We do not know clearly what the result of this work will be. The secret of my full identity is hidden in Him.”

The collages below are meant as tools for self-reflection. Each zeroes in on a separate aspect of our lives as a way to initiate this self-examination. If we give ourselves the time to reflect and pay attention to our experience, we can, as Merton says, work out our identity by recognizing the Sacred’s vital and everlasting presence.

Some of these collages may appeal to you more than others. Perhaps the one that seems the least applicable to your situation will offer surprising insights when you explore the associations it nudges to the surface.

Click on the images below to explore the collages.