Thursday, June 10, 2010

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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9 comments:

  1. OranMor
    After getting myself up off the floor, from laughing so hard two things come to mind. (First) With Christ I have been able to overcome things I still don’t understand. (Second) I have been reading a book and came across this passage in the last few weeks, I shared it with our class last week. “Why is there not more joy in the world? It takes great courage to receive the gift of joy. Its easy to be miserable, depressed, unhappy, sorry for oneself – to engage in a kind of self-flagellation and go through live saying, “Nobody has it as bad is I do” We can justify all kinds of sins by reminding ourselves and others how much were suffering. God doesn’t promise a rose garden, but he does promise the Holy Spirit. The gift of joy enables us to celebrate who we are, whose we are, the power we have. And we celebrate that in the mist of our lives.” Pg 53-54 Wind and Fire by Bruce Larson.
    I would say that you have great courage and have accepted that great gift of Joy. I Hope for dry and cool weather conditions for the second half of this adventure.
    Marvin

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  2. Hang in there Bev. We know you have the strength to finish! It becomes a mind game. Think about how proud you will be the rest of your life when think back (and tell your grandchildren) about your experiences. When I first hiked the Adirondacks I often thought I couldn't go on but I did and it changed my life. I often think about that experience and how valuable a lesson it was to me. You have plenty of time the rest of your life to be comfortable but this is a once in the lifetime opportunity!

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  3. Bev, I echo Marvin's wise writings. Cool and dry sounds so calming. Bev, this was the best blog you have written so far-adversity sharpens your skills. Does it help to know "for sure" that the rest of us are in awe of you and could not think of making this gigantic accomplishment happen in a million years. And you are half way, based on your blogs it has been a very good half. But just think of the second half-the goal is there waiting in the second half. Love you and do you need a new washer and drier at the house-we will bug Roger to go get you one as a coming home present. God Be With You, Linda

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  4. Half way point...driving rain. Yes, lots of tests. But you are enduring all of it. You are clear where you are headed and what you want to achieve. And you are doing it. Thank you for taking the time to let all of us be with you in a small way. I draw from your strenghth and take it to my life in my own way. You are truly a beacon of light. I do pray for clearer skies for you, but somehow I think that what will be your destiny is out of all of our hands! You are conquering all adversity. Champion! Love, Leslie

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  5. Do you remember young Alex going back into the foray play after play and taking the hard hit for 3 yards at a time? It is from you he got this grit. Drive On – Bev – Drive On!

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  6. Marvin, I see illustrations of those words every day on the camino. Some choose to feed the tiger of misery.
    Linda, my washer and dryer are fine. I just appreciate them more now!
    Ron, thank you for your advice. I will keep it in mind, and maybe some day I will try the Appalachian Trail,too.
    Leslie, I hope you are feeling better now. You havealso conquered many trials.
    Roger, Alex got his grit from you. I know of no one else with more determination in achieving a goal than you. You are my role model for that!

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  7. Anonymous said... HOOOAAHHHH MOM! What a lesson in living--many say "God Bless my tribulations" but you have the courage to really embrace it. Awesome! Go Baba Go!

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  8. Hey mom! Finally figured out how to subscribe to a blog. A little behind the times here with my slow-speed Internet. But regardless it's good to follow along. So proud of you mom! Love you!

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  9. Hi, Nat! Hi, Donnie! Good to hear from you. Very good! See you soon!

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