Clay in the Hands

I am so eternally grateful for this experience. The camino has proven to be one of the most physically challenging endeavors I have undertaken in my life. But at the same time, it has been such a powerful experience.

As in my previous posts, God has been teaching me, each day, to continue to trust in Him to provide. And He has continued to do so each step of the way – whether that be in stamina or direction or provision.

While finding a place to stay is a daily issue, God has opened doors to a place each day – maybe a few kilometers more than I wanted to walk, but none the less, a bed to sleep in and a shower to refresh.

I can honestly say, I have never hand washed clothes in my life, but when you only carry 3 days worth of clothing, you begin looking for a sink to wash in each day. Otherwise, you couldn’t stand to be around yourself.

One of the reasons I felt so drawn to this journey was to experience profound solitude and disconnect. The first 3 days were full of that. Because my Spanish is still not great, I really did not interact with fellow peregrinos (pilgrims) – which was OK with me given I came to experience the time alone with God.

But yesterday, I met George, a man from Belgium who speaks less Spanish than I do (I think) but speaks English. So that has been a great connection. Now today, I have met Javier from Spain. And along the way, I met a couple from Norway and now I will be rooming with someone from the Czech Republic. And each of them have a story and a very different perspective on life.

The lesson God is teaching me today is that, while solitude is crucial to our spiritual development, we were NEVER meant to make this journey alone.

The Camino Primitivo provides ample time for solitude and quiet, but it also provides time to connect with others – which is important. It has been amazing to see God at work in these connections.

As I visited with Mari from Norway, she listened to my sob story from day one and she lit up. She said, “That was me you were talking to!”

So to recap day one, I found myself without a place to stay. I called an Albergue and the hospitalero did not speak English. But he had 5 pilgrims in his car, transporting them from Grado to his Albergue in San Juan de Villapañada. So he handed the phone to someone who could speak English.

You guessed it, Mari was one of the pilgrims in the car. So as the 3 of us walked together for a time this morning, God revealed that connection. And it led to a beautiful discussion about faith.

That is one of many examples of the connections made. But again, the lesson is that we were never meant to make this journey alone.

Today, remember that you are not alone. And if you feel alone, remember that God is always with you and He provides people to walk this path with you. Maybe you just need to open up and be available to see who God will bring your way. Or maybe, you need to step out of your comfort zone and take the initiative. Either way, God created each of us for relationship – with Him and with one another.

¡Buen Camino!