I can say that the Camino has not at all been what I expected. We decided early on as a team that we would have a destination city each day that everyone was responsible for getting to each night so that we could end the night as a team. The journey part was up to the individual. Some walked very fast, some took cafe con leche breaks along the way, some took it slow, and some took a bus haha. The night before we started I had a panic moment. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to do the hike (it was going to be long and uphill starting at 200meters and going up to 1,400meters), that I would get lost, that I wouldn’t be able to carry my pack, that I would get in so much later than my teammates that I would have to sleep in a different albergue than them because they are first come for serve and have a finite number of beds. During team time we said how we were doing and I’m pretty sure I said I was fine (which according to the Italian Job means Freaked out, Irrational, Neurotic, and Emotional… so accurate!) but we also talked about what it means when we say short answers like that, if we really are fine or there’s something going on. I admitted that I am someone who wears my emotions on my sleeve so if there was something more it would probably be obvious. The next question was what would you want us to do. I said approach me one on one it’s probably something that I would more likely share in that setting than a big group. So sure enough my teammate Jake read my face and knew my fine was not actually fine. He asked if we could talk and asked how I was really doing. I shared my fears and emotions, and his response warmed my heart. He offered everything he could think of. He offered to switch packs cause his had more support, he offered to walk the entire 17miles with me (Jake is an experienced hiker who walks fast and has a stride that is at least twice mine). I wanted him to enjoy his Camino and do it at his own pace, so he offered to finish his 17miles drop his pack at the place we would stay and start back tracking till he found me and walk with me the rest of the way! I could not actually take him up on any of his offers but the fact that he would have done any and all of them with a joyful heart made me realize what an amazing team member I am blessed to have. He asked me if I wanted him to have anything waiting for me when I made it. I said a slow clap and a hug and I got it and it was enough.
While I continued to learn how amazing these people are that I’m doing life with, I also learned something about myself. I had some pride I needed to lay down… never an easy task. My reality was I could never take him up on any of those offers because that would make me a burden on him. I would be depriving him of doing things the way he wanted. But the reality was in refusing his offers I was depriving him of this act of service and kindness. A few days later during another team meeting I had to admit that I did want to walk with some of my teammates on occasion and that meant they would have to choose to slow down and stay with me. It was a hard thing for me to vocalize and ask and admit my pride. But of course my team was very quick to agree and even during the walk when I tried to let them off he hook and to walk ahead without me they said we they were going to stick with me and they did. Life is not meant to be done alone. God intended it to be relational and community based. Your needs and wants are not a burden to other people. When people offer to help it’s not weakness to accept. If your like me you are quick to be there for other people so why is it not ok for other people to be there for you on occasion?!?! So simple a concept yet so difficult to accept.
As we travel along we stay with a lot of the people we started the journey with. We are all following the same plan and end in the same city each night, so they have become our extended family. Something about this journey bonds you. We each have our connections with the people that walk about the same pace as us but at the end of the day we are all one big group. Swapping stories, preparing and sharing food, helping with aches and pains. When our albergue has a kitchen we have community meals. Some people buy the food, some prepare it, some do the dishes, and we rotate. It’s community living at its finest. If you have something someone else needs you share. Our original plan was to hit some major cities and jump around some as there is not enough time to complete the entire Camino, we wanted to walk the last 100km cause that gets you a completion certificate. But when the time came we couldn’t leave. These were our people, conversations were getting deeper, they knew what we were about and said at first they were nervous walking with a bunch of Christians, we thought you would be very judgmental but you guys are different. God is moving and people are searching. So once again we said goodbye to our silly man made plans and followed His prompting to stay. We continue to share Jesus through conversation and action. Act 2:46-47 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
When the injuries come, what do you do? It’s funny I was never one to be excited about the Camino, it’s hard, and not my element, it’s cold and my pack is way heavier than it should be (They say your pack should weigh no more than 10% of your body weight… mine is more than double). But when I found myself hurt and unable to walk it was a hard reality to accept. I didn’t necessarily want to walk the Camino but I didn’t want to not walk it either haha. I found myself asking why? Why would you have me do this? Why would you make it so I can’t? Why am I here? What is the purpose of it? I wish I had some deep revelation to put here but the reality is I don’t. I continue to trust, I continue to be open to opportunities He places in my path, and I continue to pray for healing. Mary and I have decided to walk every other day and bus every other day. God has been faithful in providing rest and continuing to place people and conversations in our path even when we are not walking. And He’s definitely faithful in the walking, even when I feel like I can’t He keeps my legs going, one foot in front of the other till I reach my destination.
Literally a medical vending machine!!!
I have truly seen so much beauty on this journey. The beauty in nature and Gods creation. The beauty in the churches and building in the towns/cities. The beauty in my team as we do our best to love each other well and support one another. The beauty in all of God’s children we have been blessed to meet along the way and how they let us into their lives. The beauty in accomplishing something. The beauty of reaching the end of your strength and having to rely on God’s!
We are all on this journey called life. It doesn’t necessarily look like the Camino for everyone but it is a journey none the less. Are you stopping to see the beauty in it? Are you letting others in? Are you relying on your own strength or God’s? Are you giving up or continuing to put one foot in front of the other? Are you set in your plans or open to God’s promptings? Thank you to all have have walked this section with me literally and figuratively, I appreciate you more than you know! Phil 1:3-6 I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to competition until the day of Christ Jesus.
