Sahagun

Thus speaketh the prophetess OranMor: "O, people of the Land of Lincoln, here thou my words, I beseech thee. Have gratitude in thine heart for the machines of washing and drying. Take them not for granted. For I say unto thee there are those in other lands who have not these things, and when the time is ripe that the Lord doth send the rain, woe is unto them, for their clothing dryeth not. And also I say unto thee, praise the officials of thy land for the free public restrooms that dot thy landscape, for verily I tell thee that in foreign lands also there are none to be found. Consider, too, the wonder of vehicles with circular devices, for even though thou hast the blessed gift of feet to move thee where thou wouldst, to these vehicles a day's walk is but a few swift minutes. Again I say, be not a stiff-necked people! Incline thine head and give thanks, for thou art greatly blessed." Thus spake the prophetess...
What was that? Was I hearing voices, or was it just the endless wind of the Meseta? The photo was taken from the albergue where I stayed last night. This is the Meseta, the plains of Northern Spain. The rain was all over Spain today, but especially on the plain! And the forecast is for another week of it. I walked for seven hours and 22km in driving wind and rain. Many pilgrims took taxi's today. An hour into my walk I was telling myself I can't do this again. I can't possibly walk through this for the next week. I envisioned different scenarios for giving up and going home. But then I remembered the prayer on the patch on my rucksack that Natalie gave me. "I pray for whatever you send me, and I ask to receive it as your gift." I said those words again, and thought perhaps this rain was a gift, easier to handle than the hot sun. Although I was wet, my feet were comfortable and my core was warm, and my Tilley hat was keeping the rain off my head as well as it had kept the sun off. A kind of peace settled over me, and I knew I would have the strength to do whatever was needed. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Today I passed Terradillos, the halfway point of my pilgrimage.
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