2 May 2013
Cruciero, east of Santo Domingo

My Encircler

Buen Camino

Today we awoke to another morning of cold rain for our journey toward Santo Domingo. We're beyond regret or fret over the weather. As the S Africans say, "Just push on."

Each morning we begin our day in prayer together. I guess I should say, "Bishop Eric," has composed a hybrid prayer from many sources, one of which is of his new passion, that of the Celts. One line in it has been wonderfully perturbing for me. "Jesus, my encircler." I heard it each morning now and have begun to anticipate it.

Today we walked through breathtakingly beautiful terrain from Vajera. It was a trail of rolling ups and downs, not bad, fields of barley and countless grape vineyards. Right along the path are prolific tall grasses mixed with that gorgeous oil seed rape, a shrub about 2' covered with lemon yellow flowers and fire-engine red poppies crowding in along side blue lavendar plants and some early baby white daiseys. . Scores of them. So beautiful. Yes, I can get in touch with my feminine side with flowers and garden plants. Beyond the immediate trail is once again the vineyards and barley fields that stretch to the foothills of terraced fields prepared for planting, but not in b loom. Beyond that some 20k out are snow capped mountain ranges.

As I walked along, I recognized that I was completely surrounded by these mts. To my left were the most majestic, in front of me- more mts, to my right- high foothills and then the escarpement of the coastal range with more mts beyond them. I was surrounded by mt ranges. Mts are overwhelming creations especially with the sheer size, snow presence, and the heavy clouds straining to lift themselves over the peaks. Breath-taking.

As I prayed my way through this majesty, it became more and more penetrating that I was walking through inter mountain valley. Yes, I was encirced.

It was the fruit of some wonder-filled prayer considering the sheer strength and power these mts held. They became for me the powerful arms of God "encircling" me. Their strength was easily imagined as the most powerful arms of God. Their sheer strength absorbed the harsh storms that strained to slip into the valley. I was experiencing God as a circle of power, strength, enormity of Father's loving care, and eternal.

In short, what I saw was what I was experiencing as a new relation with God-as my 'encircler. " That is, deep into the powerful arms of God's embrace. It was a 25k walk of a giant bear hug from God. Oh how I felt like a little boy in his Daddy's big, strong arms. I slipped along in all that green beauty with my Creator encircing me.

Each step was a gush of wiggling and comfort in His arms. I looked for His face, felt His loving glance, and He so intently relished in my attention of Him.


Sometime later in the walk with the encircling connection going on in my prayer time, it occurred to me that the mts did protect me/us from harsh storms, but not in all events in my life. I thought of painful, hurtful storms that have galed me away. Things like my dad dying at the young age of 64, my brother dying of a drug overdose, hearing my saintly mother's week-long moan in pain at deaths door, and intensely most painful- the surprise heart attack and death of our oldest son. Storms like these God allowed to slip over the mt peaks.

I will never know the mind of God or His ultimate purposes, but I was penetrated with the knowledge that His arms are forever encircling. His massively strong arms represented by these mts are ever-present. Situations change. Relationships change. I/You change. God never changes. He is forever encircling. Good things happen. Bad luck and hurt occurs..

I drifted from that truth toward contemplating how I can experience the encircling power of God's mighty arms while I busy with too much of "my" life. Afterall, why would I ever not crave a big bear hug from God?To feel His mightly arms of security and love.?To be that little kid in a loving Daddy's strong arms? I need to feel it. Not just imagine it.

Start by hugging yourself. I know. Weird. Just before sleep, wrap your arms around yourself and give YOU a big, strong, sustained hug. Feel the embrace and think of God.After a while, you'll forget they are your own arms. Just picture Him and remind yourself of how crazy in love with YOU that He is.

Hug others more deliberately. It's only an occasional, very rare church hug here. Someone in your life will be more appropriate to hug deeply, more as a message of how you love them to the core. I can say that I most dearly miss the embrace of my sweet wife. I miss being able to hug my little girl as a Daddy who is crazy proud of her and loves her- just as she is. Also, to hug my boys, my dear church friends, faith brothers. I miss my encircling families.

A hug, done purposely, has love language within it. I've come to recognize a hug such as this as an imitation of Christ as an encircler.

His power is all around you and me already-
let's get our strong arms around someone else.


Upcoming:

Villa de mayor-25k
a moderate walk

Next day: 1100 k climb-God help me

Carinosamente,

Deacon Willie