I haven’t hiked the Camino.
Someday I hope to make the 500-mile trek across the mountains, valleys, and
rivers of Spain, maybe with a few friends or on my honeymoon with mystery man.
(I hope he likes walking.) The thought of a challenging physical journey across
natural barriers fills me with enthusiasm—almost fervor.
Would I have what it takes to complete the journey? Could
I keep moving forward despite blisters, aches, or illness? Would I be able to
shoulder my load each morning or would I need to lighten my pack? Would I be
humble enough to leave something behind and face the consequences?
As my mind scrolls through these questions, I realize—I
walk this journey every day of my life. I am not speaking now of a physical
journey, but of a mental and spiritual one.
Despite the numerous obstacles, disappointments, and failures of
everyday life, do I continue to put one foot in front of the other and move
forward towards my goal?
Responding to the duty of the present moment as I serve
the moms and babies I live with requires flexibility and sacrifice, and some
tasks are just not going to be finished because they are less important. Not
knowing how someone will react to a question or reminder presents an obstacle
in communicating a message to her. Falling asleep in morning prayer and coming
down with a cold on my birthday seem like failures.
But
these struggles are part of the journey. They are a splinter of the cross that
I pick up and carry behind my Master. They are the load that I must shoulder
each morning. And when the burden becomes to heavy and I need to lighten my
pack, He is there to give me rest, to show me what can be left behind, and to
give what I need to carry the remaining load.
