Every step ... A prayer

"Pray for us while you're out there", she said.

"Believe me, I do" was my quick parting reply.  But then I felt compelled to turn around and gently remind her that "Every step is a prayer"

That was written on May 19 as I was in preparation for our Camino.  (See http://ourlifecamino.blogspot.ca/2014_05_01_archive.html). 

Many other people have asked the same thing.  In fact I continue to get almost daily emails asking for prayer for situations, or more specifically - for people in situations.  Bill with a brain tumor, Don with cancer and heart problems, Dick, Kate ... The list goes on.  Lyall, Bert, Caroline, Aimee ... And you!  

The omission of your name from the list does not mean you are omitted from our prayers.  To be honest, I'm not even sure who I have prayed for and who I have not.  I hope this makes sense to you (it may not) but most of our prayer is not in words. It is not even in conscious thought.  Our prayer is in walking.  

For some reason Lorraine and I were "compelled" to do this walk.  For some reason, I feel that it is a prayer walk. It is not that I am consciously praying every moment and the only way I can explain it is, "Every step a prayer."

The world needs our prayers now.  I have not heard a news report since we left Canada two and a half weeks ago.  The Camino is a secluded place.  But I hear rumblings, and snippets of conversation, and I know the world needs our prayers.

So tomorrow, we start out again.  It will be nice in the morning and hot in the afternoon. We will walk until we reach our destination, which is at this moment undecided.

And as we walk, our feet will pray. And as our feet pray, some if those steps/prayers will be for you.  

It was Magnificent !!

We set

 out from the Albergue in  Navarette this morning. We dawdled as much as we could knowing we were not going far today. Little did we know that we were right on time!  If we had been just a few minutes later we would have missed it!

I am what I call a "rainbow chaser". If I think there might be one I will go running outside to see it. It is a thing between me and God. But I have digressed from today's story.

This morning as we came out from the buildings there was the most magnificent sun rise I have ever seen!  It lasted for such a short time but it was one of God's masterpieces like no painter could ever duplicate!  We took pictures but pictures could not even come close to the real thing.  It was just a wonderful beginning for a new day! God seems to be going out of his way to let me know all is well. Other mornings Thurland and I have sung "Great is Thy Faithfulness" as we walk, today it an absolute must. And another song about Heaven...Just wait til you see my brand new home.... I think we saw just a small speck of Heaven today.

I have to admit I have not seen a lot of sun rises in my life time. I don't do mornings that well. Today's experience makes me think maybe I will add "sun rise chaser" to my list of things to do.... at least once in a while.  :)

In the groove ... Making it "OUR Camino"

We could hear the feet rapidly approaching from behind on a narrow stretch of the early morning trail. Without enough room to get by, the elderly lady impatiently said, "Putt putt.  Putt putt."  Though not the right reaction, I felt like pretending to trip and knocking her off the trail,  "Putt, putt" indeed!

Lorraine and I are currently "in a groove".  It may not be the groove we envisioned, but it is a groove, and as grooves go ... It's not that bad. 

At home, we walk a lot, so when we envisioned the Camino, we saw no reasons to think that not only would we do it, we would do it easily.  When we were done, there would be lots of time (not to mention energy) to do some other major hiking in Spain. Our biggest concern was that I naturally walk faster than Lorriane - a lot faster.  (My one hour route at home takes us 1:25 when we are together.) Would I be content to slow down enough that she would not need race across Spain.  

We knew the first couple of days would be a stretch. You can't leave the flat lands of Easten Ontario and head over the Pyrenees without any repercussions.  So we met that challenge head-on, and with gusto.  10.5 hours later we were at our destination, feeling exactly like we expected - bone-tired and exuberant! 

Ditto for the rest of week one: set our destination, increase it by one town ... Walk, socialize, eat, sleep, and same thing next day. A little bit behind my schedule, and well ahead of Lorraine's - and that's the way we expected the Camino to continue.

No one dreamed of a nagging injury. A minor injury that would make walking difficult.  But suddenly that happened, and now there are decisions to make.  So far, all the decisions still include finishing the Camino, but this far from home minor decisions are not so easy.  

- Should she bus ahead for a day or two, or even a week?  (That would mean separation, and she's not really keen on being alone in Spain.)

- There are other possibilities, too difficult to explain in one short blog.

- the route we have chosen to take is to forget about anything after the Camino, and do as many short days as we need to finish the Journey.  Mathematically, we could do 10 km per day for the next 60 days and still meet our deadline.  The decision includes doing whatever is necessary to make the short days possible.  Start late? start early? Rest often? Swallow pride!

"Our" Camino cannot be a race against John Brierley's guidebook.  "Our" Camino can no longer be measured in time.  The guideline for "Our" Camino will now be, "What you did, did you do it together?"

This is the way that "the Camino" becomes "our Camino". The sabbatical is not about walking across Spain.  It is about walking across Spain together.  So for as long as we can make 10 km days without increasing the injury, that will be us you see, going west, west, and further west.

So, we're in a groove.  It may not be the groove we intended, but at his point it is still a groove that leads to Santiago.  

"Putt, putt" indeed! 

How did I do that?

The days walk is over. We made it from Viana, through the city of Logrono and on to Navarette. 

Somehow the distance I walked was not registering in my mind until I heard Thurland mention 24kms. What! How did I do that?  

The day began with pain, frustration and tears as yesterday did, but somehow I managed to walk that far! Thurland carried my pack most of the day. What a good man!  It really bothers me that he has to do that. 

We are getting funny looks from other couples... I can just hear their conversations that might go something like this.... "Well dear, did you see that? He is carrying her bag for her! Why don't you ever carry mine?"   LOL   

We have already decided tomorrow will be a shorter day.

I was trying to soak my leg in cold water in a laundry sink in the washroom when the Albergue host came in to check that the lights were out (they are very careful about wasting electricity... A lot of bathroom lights are on timers...short times!  I have to turn it on several times for one "sit" LOL)

Anyway, he was so surprised to see me with a leg in the sink. In his broken English he says "you use the shower!"  And points to the shower stall.  I am not sure yet if he understood I was nursing a lame leg. He probably thinks us Canadians are just a little strange!

The adventures go on every day.... Meeting new people and seeing Spain from amazing view points. Often our path will bring us in the "back door" of a village, so to speak, and most often the villages are on a very steep hill. As we work our way up the main streets we find neat little stores and places to get whatever we need for the day.  Every village, or at least most, have a church. 

I would not want to be anywhere else than here enjoying this adventure with Thurland. I pray that we will be able to accomplish what we have set out to do. 

(If not there are always hospitals.)

When Angels look like Spanish Men

I have seen many acts of kindness in my life.  I have been the recipient of many acts of kindness in my life.  Never have I been more humbled by, and appreciative of an act of kindness than I was by the one we received today.  A man, or an angel - I cannot be sure - washed Lorraine's feet.  Not because he was fulfilling a ritual religious ceremony.  He washed them only because she was tired and her feet were dirty.

There he was ... In the most unexpected place - literally halfway between two Spanish towns, sitting in a beaten-up van, a few chairs and blankets scattered helter-skelter over the dusty ground and a dozen handwritten signs - all pointing to different objects saying, "Donations only".  

He bubbled over when we stopped and began to take our packs off, and through the happy Spanish words we deciphered that for us, the pilgrims, it was free.  If we were tourists, we would pay but everything was free for the pilgrim!  

I asked for a coke and he jumped through the back door, dug around and came up with a cold Coke.  Lorraine had been struggling (see last nights prayer request) with a painful leg, I had been carrying both packs for a couple of hours, and I explained all that to the man.  He quickly grabbed a chair, rushed to her side, insisted that she sit, and began untying her boots and removing her socks.  Jumping back up and diving into the van again he emerged with a spray bottle, knelt on the ground in front of her and tenderly washed her feet.  Finished with that, he turned his attention to the painful leg, checking often to ensure that she was comfortable with his ministrations. All the while he massaged, be rambled on about how his role in life is to assist the pilgrims on their walk. 

I think Lorraine's Facebook post said, "I wonder if angels can look like middle aged Spanish men with prickly beards". I know this one did.  

Prayer request

A few minute ago (Monday evening in Spain) Lorraine posted this on FaceBook.  Some off you may not have seen it so I will repost it here.

I have a favour to ask of my praying friends. 
Today we stopped walking partly due to pain in my leg. I am not sure if it is from the injury I did a few days ago or something else. Please pray that I will be able to continue our Camino. We have decided to make tomorrow another down day so I can rest. Prayers are so much appreciated.  

As you know, the theme of our Camino is "Every step a prayer".  That was intended to be prayers for you.  Can we ask that you take some steps of prayer for her leg today, and tonight?  

As she said, we have already decided to take another down day tomorrow (our first "zero" day) and stay here.  It is a beautiful hotel, better than reasonable rate, excellent cuisine.  It is in the middle do absolutely nowhere, so other than me walking a couple miles for fruits and vegetables, we will not wander more than three hundred meters from the hotel.  

Thanks for praying. 

Thurland and Lorraine 

In everything give thanks.

Time to give thanks to God for his help on our Camino. I do not want to take for granted the blessings I have.

The food here is great.... And what is more.... I have not had one head ache due to food or smells!  For that I am so grateful!  It was one of my concerns. 

Blisters, another thing that can spoil a day, I have none of. We have seen some feet that look so sore and painful but ours are not so. Thank you God. We are following "the rules" to healthy feet and it has worked. (God does expect us to use our heads in such circumstances. :)   

I injured my leg on a high step... My family will chuckle here...I don't do steps well...never have...broken bones everywhere to prove it...  But in missing this step I badly bruised the front of my leg. After the swelling went down it appears to be doing okay. The broken skin did not get infected...thank you God. 

I seem to have a thorn embedded in the side of my heel. Praying God will help this heal quickly.

Today I was in some discomfort as we walked about 6 Kms. The sight of a hotel to take a day off was not a coincidence I am sure. Thank you God! 

This is a journey that we feel God has set before us to do. There is no doubt he is walking with us. 

The tune in my head right now...

"Jesus will walk with me

He will talk with me, 

He will walk with me,

In joy or in sorrow

Today and tomorrow

I know he will walk with me." 

Buen Camino !