From the very first moment that I decided to walk the Camino, I knew that this journey was going to be unlike anything that I had ever experienced before. Instinctively I knew that I was going to be taught many lessons, that I was going to have to walk with an open heart and that having a teachable spirit was going to be essential.
I had asked for God's blessings and I knew that John Brierley's wonderful guidebook was going to be a mere tool, the directions that I truly needed to guide me on the correct way would be provided in a very different form!
Right from the start, certain verses in the Bible jumped out at me. One of the very first verses that I was unmistakably drawn to was Hebrews 13:1-2:
"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
These words made such an impression on me that I put it on the blog as a permanent element.
Today, four months after I arrived in Santiago after having walked for 35 days, I found myself giving thanks for the numerous angels who walked with me, laughed with me, guided and protected me, cried with me, sheltered and fed me.
I give thanks to a faithful God who truly keeps His word!
So today I'd like to give specific thanks to the angels who...
...spoke to me in a language that I could understand
...offered a service that enabled me to continue walking - Jacotrans transports your pack to your next destination if you need to walk with a lighter day pack. They came to my rescue four of the thirty five days when I couldn't get my blistered feet in my shoes and had to walk wearing my crocs. Having a lighter day pack on my shoulders enabled me to carry on walking. I promise I didn't write the above but I certainly agree!!
...doctored my feet, unselfishly sharing their own medication and bandages...
...offered me safe places to sleep, sometimes without even expecting to be paid...
...offered me the use of their computers to contact my family, free of charge...
...blessed my life with their warmth and love, translating for me when my Spanish was not good enough and made me laugh until the tears ran down my face...
...took the time to make these little gifts to hand to weary pilgrims as they checked in to the quaintest little albergue...
...brought this precious medicine all the way from South Africa so that I could treat my blisters...
...offered to feed the hungry and expected nothing in return...
..saw me taking pictures of this cross in the sky and then offered to take a picture with me in it...
...decided to turn a tired old geyser into something that made me stop and smile...
..made me this wonderful salad on a day that I was hot, hungry and tired to the bone...
...planted these trees next to the road, therefore providing a shady spot in the middle of nowhere...
...stopped next to me and handed me this ice cold bottle of water through a car window on a day when a heatwave made it almost impossible to walk...
...decided to put this table up under a tree, again in the middle of nowhere, thus providing a place where pilgrims can have their meals...
...gave me ice to ease weary, aching muscles...
...who picked me this St John's Wort and made an infusion for me to drink to ease my hay fever induced migraine...
...provided cooked eggs so that breakfast could be packed for the road...
...sang and played their instruments on the way so that others could bask in what I can only describe as angelic sounds...
...left gifts, not expecting anything in return...
...made me smile when the hills became steep...
...provided little stones to put at the foot of the Cruz de Ferro for those who didn't bring their own...
...made sure my eye caught this little gift hidden on a sidewalk in the middle of a busy city...
...took the time to paint this special sign - I know that each pilgrim reading this feels as if it was written for him or her exclusively!
And finally - the biggest thank you to...
...the countless angels who undertook the enormous task of painting thousands of yellow arrows across Spain. These arrows became so much more than just the route markers that ultimately led me to Santiago. They served to reassure me in so many ways. As long as I saw them, I knew I was following the correct route. I had the assurance that I was where I was supposed to be and that all was well. They assured that I reached my destination and I knew that once I had passed the very last one, I had to look out for them in a different form.
I continue to be guided every day of my life and I know now that my yellow arrows are to be found in the pages of my Bible, in the words of wise people who cross my path, in the stones that are scattered on my beach and in the innocence of little children. I am richer in so many ways after this experience but most of all, I am thankful beyond words.
