29 April 2013

Butterfly spirituality

Today we walked from Estella to Torres del Rio. It was a 28 km walk with only one challenging hike about 230 m in about 8 km.The rest of the way was a pleasant but long walk. We decided to walk longer so that we could shorten the 30k walk in store.

There are about 200 perigrinos walking in our wave along the camino. You meet some then some float in after staying an earlier albergue or new ones who are brutally hard walkers. Some are actually running it. Wow! I have found it particulary a gift to stay with the South Africans of Eric, Joyce, and Heather. They are dear Christians- kind in heart and gentle souls. We pray our way into the the day´s walk and share scripture and testimony along the way.

I stopped to add help to poor Lydia who was struggling with a poorly adjusted pack. While I helped her, I lost my little family. When I arrived at our midway destination I was doing some grieving over the loss of my little family. There would be not communication as to where they stop or how to connect.

I wasn´t lost. But I was opening myself up to being without theirreat company. It was painful thinking of that. Something like having a beautiful butterfly enter your life to enjoy it´s color and grace, only to have it float away.

That is how it is with God´s grace. It floats nto our life for such a brief moment to behold. Not something to hold or grasp regardless of how lovely it is. There are new butterflies to enjoy. They´re simply gifts to enjoy along the jouurney for but a moment.

Shortly after accepting the fact that I lost my wonderful little community, up popped Heather. A little later Joyce and Eric. We were reunited and how grateful I was that we could contine together again. They are such a fountain of spirituality.

For now, I enjoy my new found thought of butterfly spirituality. How beautiful the Holy Spirit is about adding gentle beauty and love messages along our way.

Look for yours. They´re there.

Carinosamente,

Deacon Willie

Logrono

Buen Camino

We awoke to cold rain n a 21k walk. The first 7k was a stiff uphill followed by beautiful walk amongst fields of green n lots of wildflowers. Word came today that they expect 20000 pilgrims to start in May. So glad I'm 20% done.

Word for the day for me is "breathe". Drink in Jesus w each breath. Praying Him into me has been a simple prayer. He's all around n words are completely useless. Feeling my chest grow w each breath is so obvious. When I consciously connect the idea that it really Him filling and expanding me, I am deeply grateful n humble. So very simple.

Breathe.

Carinosamente

DW

Puerta la Reina

Listen

Walked thru babbling brooks n winds all day.

I can swear that the sounds of birds, wind, n waterfalls were the the angels singing. All it took was to listen.

A scripture caught me today. Jesus said "yet that u would deny me even the rocks n stones would proclaim God's greatness. The Camino is covered with ocks n stones. Today in their silence I heard their praise. The sounds of nature was like a chorus of angels. All things shout of the glory of God if I just "listen"

Listen. Listen deeply. Be still. God surrounds us.

Carinosamente,

Deacon Willie

Puente la Reina

27 April 2013

Buen Camino

A Leap in Faith

We left Pamplona with 38 degree temps, a steady rain, and slight wind. As we climbed toward Mt Perdon, the rain turned to rain and sleet. The trail was heavy clay mud with the customary rocks and stones scattered in the mud- some submerged just below the surface, many just scattered on the surface. As we made the climb about 700 meters, the wind became punishing.  The message to ¨be vigilant¨was so very persent with each struggling step. A simple slip on a rock or mud slip of the foot and down we could go.

When we hit about 850 meters, we reaching a downslope where the trail washed away. The rain and sleet was coming hard and it was so very painful to work down the moutainside. There on a 30 degree slope the trail which was formidable.  There was an 8 ft.drop down where the trail was gone. The alternative was to take to the side of the trail where some old aster bushes and an old barbed wire fence were. Our feet were caked with clay and the rain made them so slippery. The asters were stiff stemmed shrubs with sharp thorns which snagged our clothes and poked at the skin. The view from on top of the trail stole our breath.

Eric, the tall Anglican bishop, took several long deep steps down. Each step was a good foot and half to two feet drop. The washed trail was to the right, the thorny bushes to my left. For the first time since my calling in March, last year, I was caught in fear.

¨Lord, I can not do this. My Dego legs are too short. The fall would be brutal- a hernia, roll down hill with my pack, tumble in the thorns, break a wrist or ankle. I truly was so terrified to make the next step.  With all the heart and soul that I could muster, I stepped off into the air with pole in one hand and stretched wide legged to the 2 ft drop below. The vegetation under foot would not hold me fully with all the mud and wet on my boots. I did a strong wobble with an upright pause. Amen. Then I had to take the next even deeper step down. Even more breath taking considering the impossibility of what it looked like from above.

It was nothing short of a ¨step of faith.¨ No common sense or safety thoughts were available. It was quite honestly a step into thin air to the next drop. Then another. Then another. Leaps of faith. Nothing but the sheer trust God would help me. And He did.

We proceeded another stretch back up another 50 meters or so to Mt Perdon, where there are iron figure of pilgrims on a magnificent view overlooking the hillside valleys. Magnificent!

After a short breather, we started the descent down the mt. Along the way, I was overcome with emotion as I recalled ¨the step.¨ Big baby that I am, I cried crocidile tears considering the terror that seized me and what it was like to really step off a cliff with only the hope of God´s care.

If I know everything and how to manage everything that confronts me, what do I need God for? Then I am playing God of my life. Life would be on my terms, my intelligence, my design.

I´ve been through really difficult moments in my life. Some of them were agonizing, but I knew that I´d somehow I´d get through them with God´s help.  This was far, far different. Taking a step in faith put my life into the catch of His strong hands. Jesus was my master acorbatic catcher. And He was oh, so powerfully present.

There´s my God moment. I invite you to share this ¨leap of faith¨ in some moment in your life challenge. Step out into thin air and feel His embrace as He catches you.

It´s soul exhilirating.

Upcoming:

Estella, 21 km and not a bad walk. More rain, and hopefully the wind and hail won´t come again. So painful and more challenging.

I feel every prayer with each step. Know that I pray for yáll.

God´s trapeze artist, my Carinos

Deacon Willie

26 April 2013

Buen Camino,

Be vigilant!

Today I met a pair of effervescently happy spirited young 25 year old girls from Canada.  There are soon start a master´s degree in Theology. We walked from Zubiri to Pamploma talking God callings and stories about how He has loved us onto El Camino. Along the way, Lydia, a bubbly happy, loud laugher developed gruesome blisters on the back of her heal. They were bloody and so painful looking.

I offered to carry her bag. She replied, ¨Someone must need my prayers so I´ll just offer it up for them.¨ She was grinning from ear to ear.  Talk about ¨offering it up- with joy.¨

She would not let me carry her bag, but I surrendered my walking sticks so that she could use them for easing some of the strain on her feet.

I have joined a threesome from South Africa. Eric is a tall, tall former bishop there with his wife and their friend. They are 76 years old and have walked the camino 2 years ago. Better than that, I have nicknamed Eric, Magellan. He reads maps and can follow them easily. They are wonderful, spirit filled people.

While we walked to Pamploma the simple shower, turned to steady rain, turned to steady cold down pours. What made it so difficult was that the muddy trail strewn with rocks of all sizes and shapes clutters the trail. Much of the trail is a steady climb up and many today were steep down trails. Navigating down a muddy hill trying to step around rocks and working so very hard not to slide and fall was painstakingly difficult.

It occurred to me how I needed to be vigilant. Falling was so very easy to do and the slip would be more than just painful. Falling would bring suffering and regret. I had to minute by minute during tedious parts of the trail to be vigilant.

This thought penetrated my soul. How important it is to be vigilant in my faith walk. To be vigilant against temptation. To be vigilant for Satan´s deceptive techniques. Be vigilant to avoid the pain and suffering of sin.

How grateful I am for Jesus who is so vigilant in His love for me- and for his protection to this point. 

Tomorrow we head toward Puenta la Reina and to the jewel of the Camino- Eunate. Books I´ve read claim that this is where the spiritual highlight of the Camino came.

I´m open to whatever God has in store for me. I pray to hold it with soft gentle hands. It hurts so much when I grasp it in demands and expectations and He chooses to gift me in ways and places of His choosing.

Following Eunate, we head on one of the more dangerous descents.  Rain and possible snow while in the 50´s tomorrow. Yikes.

Please continue to pray for me. I feel all of them. Know that I pray so fondly of all of you.

We´ll follow lovely Lydia joy of offering it up in sacrificial love.

And, Be vigilant.

Carinosamente,

Deacon Willie

Zibuir- Offer it Up, with love

25 April 2013

Buen Camino

Offer it up- with joy

I have precious internet time so let me update some news of where I´ve been

I left St Jean on a short, but preciptious climb up the Pyreenes. It was so steep and hard, but short. Stayed in Orisson at a charming chalet in the mts. Beautiful.

The next day for the most challenging of my entire life. It was a 3000 m climb up the Pyreenes with gale force winds on a 30-40 degree elevation. The wind was so strong that I could have layed down against the wind with my back pack and stayed levetated. So hard. It was a 22 km climb followed by an 8 km down. It completely cashed my quads. I made it to Rocessvalles. Lovely stay nestled in the mts.

Left today for Zubiri, an industrial town just beyond the foothills. The climb was tough at times for 14 km followed by a gorgeous walk through a forest. The trees where bursting with new leaves and the smell of  spring was escaping the new buds. Enchanting. Then we hit the long slow climb on a clay footpath strewn with rocks of all sizes and shapes. Everything from tennis ball size to basketball size. They were embedded in the mud and required utmost care not to slip on these scattered demons. The climb at this point was 20 km.  Some perigrinos have face planted from the slip and the the heavy pack that has thrust them face planted.
During so many times of, ¨how am I gonna make this¨ I quickly recalled that I was offering this all up for baby Liv and her needed liver transplant. ¨This is for you baby Liv.¨ And it made it all right.Being that it was the second day of öffering it all up,¨ I found myself infusion in
with the expression; ¨with joÿ.¨  I pictured her little face and the love of her parents praying their hearts out for her and said, ¨I can endure this sacrifice with joy for her.¨ It made the sacrifices so blessed because it was not something I was just trying to get through. I was offering it up, joyfully.

We had a couple in our group who was celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary today.  I offered to renew their wedding vows in church here, but the parish priest would not stay after mass. ¨Voy al la called a my casa.¨ My caveman Spanish wouldn´t convince him how special it would be to do in the ornate little church and that I would do it all.  ¨No permite, deacono.¨ Not meant to be. We´´re planning a marriage renewal blessing at a church along the way for all married here (there are many!) to have a renewal of wedding vows along el camino de Santiago de Compestela..

That´s my penetrating message from our sweet Jesus today. I start walking, keep my chatty school girl stories going about all who need prayer, my family, da mayor, and so many I carry in my heart for specific things. Then we walk for kms and I just listen. And when I have settled my spirit enough, He whisper a little message to my day. Today it was two words, ¨with joy.¨

Serving someone sacrificially can be done, but doing it with a whole heart of love into it. Yea, without faking kindness just to get through it.  Making it a complete heart and soul love offering. The effort must reach heaven as a sweet fragrance.

Up comin:

Leave for Pamploma 22km- rain likely and 13Ç.  Time to get wet and muddy. On bruttal hill of a 500 m climb in a rain storm.  Hope to get to a unique Albrgue of Jesus and Marie. Strong advice to make an extra day in Pamploma, an old town of great interest to let my legs recover. My quads a jello for the steep down hikes on slippery we rock. Intense concentration needs.

Lots of love to all my dear ones.

Offer it up- with love, and maybe for precious 10 month old baby Liv.

Carinosamente,

DW

St Jean Pied de Port

22 April

Buen Camino

An apology for the long delay in getting this first blog off so late.  Í´ve been in the mountains and there is NO signals.

Offer it up.

I arrived in St Jean, the starting point of the camino.It has been a couple days of complete blessings from God.  Just when I had a need, God sent a messenger.  It is no wonder that when I call out to God there is a busy signal. Yáll are really praying hard for me. I feel them.

As I prepared for the camino, I considered the many difficulties. It occurred to me that there have been so many Lenten practices in my past that I have been required to¨ offer it up.¨  To make the love offering I concentrate on the love that the practice I chose makes more room for Jesus to dwell in my heart. Yes, even Culvers ice cream!

I just offer it up for Him.

I have embraced this motivation for my first days on the camino. I have embraced the idea of ¨offering it up¨ for two little girls with liver conditions.  The youngest of which needs a liver transplant. Her name is Liv.  I was privileged with a God moment with her father who shared a picture of her. Parents´scared hearts and a little 10 month old who needs Jesus´ healing touch. Her image touched me deeply. And from that brief moment I committed the challenges of my hardest days on the camino for little baby Liv.

Sacrifices of love propel the prayers to heaven. Perhaps there is someone you know needs your prayers. They need God´s mercy.And perhaps a sacrifice of self would be inspiring to put more power in your prayer for them.

Look at Jesus. I see His painful agony for my sorry soul and know it all shouted out His love for me. I offer my challenges of these first days for baby Liv.

She desperately needs prayers. I offer it up, all of the strain of the Pyreenes, for all it´s worth, for her.

I remain in Him, Carinos

Deacon Willie

Camino Beginnings

April 15, 2013

Buen Camino!

It all begins with Him.

In just a few short days I begin my pilgrimage on El Camino de Santiago de Compostela.  It is a walking pilgrimage from southern France, across the Pyrenees Mts. into Spain, then 500 miles to the Cathedral of St. James. My calling came on March 23, 2012, during a morning meditation prayer time.  It was such an overwhelming and consuming experience which privileged me with a glimpse of how much love He had in store for me.

I remember the event as deeply intimate and in such intense, HD quality. I held such a passion for Him that it erupted like a sunburst within me. It was so profound that I could only respond with the words in the beautiful hymn, "I say 'yes' my Lord."

 

The journey started with questions, none were of the "why" variety, but the "how" variety. How can I do this? Overweight, completely out of shape, age 62, so-so health, no dineros, no plan. How Lord?

One mighty whisper was breathed into me, "Have faith." That's all. "Have faith." The thunderous meaning in those two words conceived the camino-calling in me.

For a year now, I have been repeating those two words, "Have faith. Have faith. Have faith. This has opened a newer world in the words "the mystery of faith."

And those "how" questions? Answered convincingly.

Even today the camino still is somewhat clouded in mystery, just as so much of our everyday lives hold mystery. However, I've come to learn, deep within me, that faith penetrates the clouds of uncertainty to free us to live more and more in this confidence: He knows. He is merciful. He is faithful. And, He is caring for us as our Daddy.

Our response: "Have faith" shouts back doubt and fear. It confronts Satan's darkness. It surrenders us to God's perfect plans. (Maybe 500 mile pilgrimage plans) Our mantra: "Have faith," reveals a critical truth- God has been passionately faithful all along.

1John 4:19

Yes. It all begins with Him.

Carinosamente,

Deacon Willie (DW)

Upcoming:

April 19: depart for Paris

April 21: depart Paris for Lourdes

April 22: Lourdes to St. Jean Pied de Port

April 23: 1st day on Camino