To see a video of our Camino experience, click here or click the video above!
The Camino (El Camino De Santiago) was everything that I love. Relationships, nature, health and exercise, reflection, and drawing near to God. To me, it was a picture of life. All of the lessons I learned, God showed me how they could be applied to larger life. Hope you enjoy!
Lessons learned and what I’ll take away:
Go At Your Own Pace – God continually pressed this on my heart. Through out the Camino, there are people who will whiz past you and there are those who you yourself will pass up. It is important not to see it as a competition, but instead to see it as your own journey. Everyone is on their own journey and while everyone is heading in the same direction and your stories weave together, ultimately, everyone has their own journey as you walk from your beginning to end. Sometimes I would match the pace of those around me, or pick up my pace when I heard people behind me in order not to be passed, without even realizing. I was constantly challenged not to look to much to my right or to my left, but to follow the pace that God had set for me. What I realized days into my journey was that before I could walk at my own pace, I had to find my own pace, the pace God had for me. This took being aware and attentive to my emotions, thoughts, struggles, pains, or whatever else. As I journey through life, I hope to journey with people, but I also hope to stick strong to the pace God has set me on. Not rushing too quickly, not strolling too slowly. My pace may change over time, but I always want to be attentive to the pace God has me on and being content to go at just that pace.
Be Present – I had a fascinating conversation with a man named Felli. He talked about the past, present, and future. My takeaway was that it’s okay to think about the past and it’s okay to plan for the future, but letting your mind shift one direction or the other too much, can cause you to live into the past or future. And the past/future was never meant to be lived in. Only the present. I was challenged to focus my attention on the things around me, whether that be people, a tree, fields, my thoughts, my feelings, etc.. The further I cleared my mind and unplugged, the easier it was to focus on life around me.
Community – This is something I’ve been learning over the course of this whole year, but it happens almost instantaneously on the Camino. Yes, you have your own journey, but you also need the support of those around you and that is exactly what the Camino is! Doing life with others and even more, sharing life with others. People from all walks of life and backgrounds and very varying stories, yet coming together with a similar purpose and supporting each other and journeying together. You eat together, walk together, sleep together, go to mass together, do life together. Truly a beautiful thing!
Transparency – Wow, I was blown away by this one and super encouraged to grow in this in my own life! The last day of our journey, I had a very sweet lady share part of her story, without me even prompting. This led into one of the most beautiful conversations I have had during my time on the Race. I loved her boldness in sharing and if she hadn’t been open, neither of us would have been encouraged on our journey. I’ve learned there is a difference between being open and transparent. Being open requires people to ask the right questions, being transparent is being willing to share your story with others, even if they don’t ask you just the right question for you to open up, and no matter how uncomfortable or difficult it may be. Our pains are God’s platforms to display His glory and can be used to have major impact on people. The enemy wants us to hide things, to act like we have it together. I’ve been learning there is SOO much beauty in being transparent and opening up about your life, both the good and bad. I’ve had life experiences and they are meant to be shared. Life experiences are not just for the person that has them, they are also for those around them.
Generosity – Once again, I was just blown away by the people on the Camino!! You have people from all walks of life and beliefs, and yet everyone just gets what it looks like to do life with each other, to share with each other, to share stories, to give without expecting in return. We received countless meals and everyone was so willing to help each other along the way, whether that be material gifts or simply giving their time and waiting on someone they met just days before. I’ve been so encouraged that this is the life that I want to live from here on. Doing life with people, blessing people, sharing life and life experiences with people. And not with any expectancy of anything in return. Simply to just love them!
