Re-Assured

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This morning was a beautiful walk from Cacabelos over the hills and thru the vineyards to Villafranca. Somehow shortly after leaving Cacabelos I got on an alternate route. I am not sure how, and I didn't know I was until I started my decent outside of Villafrance and saw all the pilgrims on a road below me which I joined about 10 minutes later. No doubt my walking companion had given me another gift. He and I walked together thru the hills and the vineyards alone except for the occasional worker in the vineyards. The route I took was sparsley marked, but it was marked, so I am not sure how I ended up on the route I took and most everyone else I had started out with this morning had not.

At one point as I wandered down the road with the vineyards on either side of me I got a little worried that I was on the right path. There had been a T in the road a bit earlier that had not been marked. I frequently have had this issue of worry when I feel I have gone too long without seeing an arrow. As has become my habit when this happens I just ask the Lord for a sign. This morning the sign was promptly given and I laughed to myself thanking my walking companion for His guidance once again.

This would be a most important lesson that the Camino has taughtme. I tend to be a very stubborn and self-reliant individual. I often don't look to the Lord for guidance but only later when I need him to bail my butt out. I have had many occassions during my walk to learn trust, patience, and to ask and wait for guidance. The one time I went to my usual pattern of doing things my way and not trusting I actually turned back on my way and retraced mysteps for about 15 minutes or so until I discovered I had indeed been on the right path! Ahhhh what aggravation thatn was - but I got the lesson. Similarly a wonderful lady from Florida that I met at the Refugion at the monastery we stayed in in Rabanal shared her story with me. She had gotten hopelessly lost on the mesata and was hot and tired and scared. She was stuck somewhere in a mass of highway intersections and could not find the way. Feeling overwhelmed she walked back to the highway and sat down and waited and prayed for a sign. She had been crying for over an hour and was completely spent when the sign was given to her. Taking a leap of faith she followed it climbing over road barriers and finally finding her self path on the Camino with other pilgrams. A short month ago I would have branded this woman a crazy religious fanatic, but having so many similar experiences myself Iknow without a doubt her story was true.

Now I am refreshed having had cafe con leche, orange juice el naturale, a chocolate croisssant and bacon in this beautiful little hillside town. It is time to be on my way to find what other wonders the Lord has to share with me this day!

I lift my eyes to the mountains from where shall come my help? My help shall come from the Lord who made heaven and earth. May he never allow me to stumble! Let Him sleep not, my guard. No, He sleeps not nor slumbers! The Lord is my guard and my shade; at my right side he walks.

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