From the
very first time I heard of the existence of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage
in Spain, I was inextricably drawn to it. I started planning my trip to Spain within
weeks after meeting with a friend who had walked the 800km from St Jean Pied de
Port at the foot of the Pyrenees in France to Santiago de Compostella in Spain.
It has now been eight months since I arrived at the cathedral in Santiago,
where for many, the pilgrimage ends.
Not a day
goes by that I don’t think of the experience. For 35 days I became a pilgrim.
For the first time in my life I had given up all my luxuries and immersed
myself in a journey that was not only spiritually focused, but physically
challenging as well. Every morning I headed towards a new destination, not
always knowing where I was going to put my head at the end of the day. I
trusted the advice and accepted the kindness of complete strangers. I shared
meals with fellow pilgrims, who, despite the fact that we had never met before
this trip, felt like family to me. Our only immediate link was that we had all
decided to step away from our ‘normal’ lives for a few weeks in exchange for
life on the road. Doctors, artists,
drifters, atheists, nuns and priests, we all headed in the same direction day
after day, each filled with our own expectations.
The gift of
hours spent just walking, and the possibility that it presented for
introspection, enabled me to contemplate the deeper issues in my life. I was
able to concentrate, undisturbed, on what I regard as the essence of my
existence – my relationship with God. In nurturing and developing this all
important part of my being, I have since discovered that every other part of my
life in turn, is nurtured, grown and strengthened.
The freedom
to spend quality time with the Lord, without the normal day to day distractions,
is one of the main reasons why the idea of a pilgrimage remains so special to
me.
People often ask me whether walking the Camino was a life changing experience for me. On reflection I have to say that it didn’t change my life dramatically but it confirmed in no uncertain terms the importance of having a meaningful relationship with God. Dedication, commitment and perseverance are all requirements for establishing such a relationship. It has to be a way of life and whilst walking in Spain I was constantly reminded of the importance of these attributes. If you're aiming for a destination that is 800km away and you have to reach it by foot, you are going to require quite a bit of dedication, commitment and perseverance!
I’ve also
realized that I can never stop pursuing the knowledge and wisdom required to
truly understand what the Lord’s plan for my life is.
Something
happens on the Camino that can only be described as a ‘coming alive of sorts’.
It transcends the normal day to day existence that we all lead. Personally, I
felt an incredible peace fall within me. I can’t describe it in any other way.
I felt as if a light was switched on somewhere inside of me. I met people who I
can only describe as being akin to angels and I have come to realize that all the guidance we need to navigate
this world is indeed to be found in God’s word. I found clear, simple and very
personal messages on the pages of my little travel bible on a daily basis!
Along the
way I encountered a myriad heart shaped objects and if you have read earlier
posts on this blog you will know that the heart shape has become somewhat of a
symbol to me. The words of Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26 have had a profound impact
on me and as heart shaped stones, flowers, cloud formations and carvings
continued to catch my attention on a daily basis, I knew these were affirmations
that I would understand. Verses that I had read in the months leading up to the
walk became real to me as I had conversations with people along the way.
Proverbs 3:5, Philippians 4:7, 1 Peter 3:15, Psalm 37:4, Psalm 51:10 all had a recurring
theme and I couldn’t help but conclude that my little heart stones were indeed
symbolic of the promises I kept discovering in my little bible.
After I had
been walking for a while I somehow felt a very real need to dedicate certain
days to people in my life. I would spend time praying for them and as some
people had given me prayer requests, I was able to be very specific about this.
I have loved sharing the experiences that I had on those days. Seeing someone react to things that speak to them via the photographs
that I took on the day that I walked for them, confirms to me that God truly is
at work in all our lives!
I quickly
learned to accept things as they happened to me. Even the unexpected or the
unpleasant did nothing to make me change my mind about walking all the way.
Despite all my research beforehand I still had severe blisters on my feet for
31 of the 35 days that I spent on the road. Initially I was intensely aware of
it, every step of the way! As the one set of blisters healed, another would
form somewhere else on my feet. I had taken a pair of Crocs with me; the
purpose of this was to have something to wear in the evenings. Crocs were
perfect as it would not add a great weight to my backpack. Taking these shoes
with me turned out to be such a blessing, as I was able to wear it on the days
that I couldn’t get my feet into my walking shoes.
I soon
learnt that even blessings often bring lessons of their own, as the Crocs
eventually gave me new sets of blisters! I realized that even blisters carried
very specific lessons. I have people in my life who deal with chronic pain, day
in and day out. Yet I never hear them complain, in fact they are probably the
most positive people that I know. My heart constantly went out to my mother,
who has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for years and my friend Sonja, who is
fighting a daily battle with a dreaded disease called MSA. In fact, my
pilgrimage was dedicated to raising awareness of this illness, for which a cure
is yet to be found.
Despite
constant physical pain, these people in my life stand out head above water as
loving, caring children of God who get on with life, despite their ailing
bodies. They encourage others, they support, care for and love with a love that
can never be questioned or faulted! I realized that God wanted me to
acknowledge and learn from these amazing women. Once I understood this, I
walked through the pain with a renewed strength and gratitude. It’s almost as
if physical pain simply became a part of me – a reminder not only of suffering,
but of so much more!
In
conclusion – I am eternally grateful that I was given the opportunity to
exchange my everyday life for that of a pilgrim, albeit for a short while. I am thankful that I was granted the grace to
understand the special language that God uses to communicate with those who
choose to listen. I am thankful for the message in Hebrews 13 that reminded me
not to forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so I might encounter angels
on the way.
Before
embarking on my journey I read many accounts written by others who walked The
Way before me. Some of them had that one undeniable life changing encounter
with the Lord along the way, some had a few smaller incidents that really stood
out for them and some were disillusioned, as they never felt the grand epiphany
of sorts that they expected when they started out. I even read about someone
who started out as a Christian and ended up being an atheist by the time he
reached Santiago! Personally I was not quite sure what to expect, other than
that I wanted to cultivate a very real relationship with the Lord. I knew that
having a teachable spirit was essential if I wanted the Lord to work in me and
through me. I did not doubt for one minute that He would guide me, what surprised
me was how very specific and how undeniable His teachings were.
The yellow
arrows that I followed on the road to Santiago led me to my final destination
in Spain. The inner directions I received were so much more profound and should
guide me for a lifetime! Life as a
pilgrim has also shaped my testimony and for that I will be ever thankful. What
a blessing and what an honour to be able to have the Lord speak to me in a
language clearer than my earthly mother tongue!
The
following scripture has taken on a new meaning for me after my camino and I know
I will continue to call on these words for the rest of my life!
“But you will receive power when the
Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
* A condensed version of this article appears in the latest printed edition of the Amigos magazine, the publication produced by the Confraternity of St James of South Africa.
