Eagle Scout Brady Stone brings additional respite to labyrinth
Pictured from left to right: Retreat House Spirituality Center Co-founder and Director Rev. Dr. Lil Smith and Brady Stone on one of the benches Stone assembled and installed near the labyrinth at Retreat House. Smith called the time spent “such a sacred day.”
When he was a young boy, Brady Stone would ask his parents to stop on road trips so he could take photos of different flowers, plants or other things that were illuminated just right by the sunlight. His mother Christy Stone remembers his iPhone camera as one the first indicators that her son possessed a keen awareness and appreciation for God’s creation.
“Brady notices the shimmers,” says Christy. “He started contemplative photography when he was around 7 or 8 - mainly using his iPhone to capture things that caught his eye. I’m not sure we or he knew he was developing contemplative practices at that point, but he was. Since then, he’s really grown to see the beauty in all things.”
A senior at Hebron High School in Carrollton, 18-year-old Stone has been active in Boy Scouts since first grade. With college fast approaching, he realized it was kind of now or never if he wanted to reach Eagle Scout status. Keeping in mind that Boy Scouts of America guidelines require a Scout to complete a comprehensive service project in the community before attaining Eagle rank, Stone says he knew it was time to get to work.
But he needed some inspiration first.
“I was hiking with a friend at Camp Gilmont. We were in nature and just talking and then he mentioned a prayer garden that he had created for a church. I thought that idea was really cool.”
Once he returned home from camp, Stone floated the idea to his mother to see if she had any ideas.
Being a spiritual director and closely connected to contemplative spaces, Christy quickly thought Retreat House! As a partner of RH, she reached out to Rev. Dr. Lil Smith, co-founder and director of the community, to inquire about possibilities quickly learning that benches and planters were needed near and around the labyrinth.
“Brady and I brainstormed different options,” says Christy. “He had the option of creating a stand-alone prayer garden in another location besides Retreat House, but in the end, chose to enhance the already lovely, existing labyrinth at RH. We both loved the idea!”
Planning conversations commenced in fall of 2023 with the final project installation happening in February 2024. Throughout the course of three (occasionally rainy) days, Brady as well as volunteer Scouts and some parents worked together to assemble two benches and some planters in and around the prayer labyrinth located in the backyard at Retreat House.
In talking with Smith, Brady learned that some pilgrims who come to enjoy the labyrinth have limited mobility to walk and move about the space. This was a big motivator for him.
“I wanted there to be a place to sit where people can go into prayer regardless of the capability or shape of someone’s body. I wanted to create ease in providing all people a place to go and be with God in prayer.”
Stone and his fellow Scouts preparing an area near the labyrinth for one of the benches they installed. One bench was placed on the right side of the labyrinth (if one stands on the back porch of RH looking away from the house). The idea was to allow folks to take a break and rest while walking. Another bench was installed a few steps away from the art room door, providing easy access to those who want to sit and enjoy the labyrinth but might not necessarily be able to walk it. Stone also wanted to add to the aesthetic of the space and decided planters for vibrant flowers would work well! He worked with Smith to match and procure additional pea gravel from the Colorado River to match the existing gravel for areas that needed to be filled.
Brady self-funded the majority of the project with a little help from his family as well as a small contribution from Retreat House. He was also able to receive some deep discounts from suppliers. The “Boy Scout” discount is pretty amazing he says. The benches and planters were made of Trex material and took a total of seven hours to assemble.
Both of the Stones found joy in the work and the day.
“It was a long process with all of the planning and recruiting of volunteers,” says Brady. “But I was really able to take the reigns on this project, and I genuinely enjoyed it. It didn’t feel like a requirement at all by the end.”
Chisty adds:
“It was beautiful to watch he and Lil talk about the benches and the tree and the blooms and the beaty of the labyrinth,” she says. “I watched them brainstorm and talk about how God’s creation and beauty could all come together in that little space.”
Brady Stone will be heading to Oklahoma State University in the Fall of 2024 to study architecture. He’s been a part of Boy Scout Troop 259 since first grade. When asked where he finds and experience God these days, he shares:
“Those things that just find me and feel right. That’s another way I feel God speak to me. It is through the people meet.”
“What a joy and delight it has been to work with Brady. It was truly Holy Breath bringing a vision together with Brady’s passion and hard work. The addition of the prayer benches around the Pilgrim’s Labyrinth at Retreat House is a special way for us to celebrate the jubilee year at Retreat House. Seven is a number of wholeness, completeness, and Brady’s addition for his Eagle Scout project completes the circle. I hope you will make time to come by Retreat House to sit and enjoy this new feature. ”
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This article was written by Emily Turner Watson. She is a trained spiritual director and writer. Connect with her!
The Retreat House Spirituality Center labyrinth is open 24/7. To learn more about labyrinths, check out Meet me at the labyrinth, another RH sacred story. To learn more about the history of the Retreat House labyrinth, read Holding space for the Spirit: A history of Retreat House.