Love changes everything

Françoise and Roger on the plateau above Cahors on a very hot day

"Love,
Love changes everything:
Hands and faces,
Earth and sky,
Love,
Love changes everything:
How you live and
How you die"

~Andrew Lloyd Webber
(see the whole song YouTube)
 

This was a day when I had a lot of contact with Françoise and Roger, and they turned out to be guardian angels. I had met them the previous evening in the convent at Vaylats where we shared the evening meal together. After lunch this day, I ran out of water in the unexpected heat. Somehow or other it seems that we met a local who discovered we were low on water... he returned and gave my angels some water. They ran in the heat to catch up to me to share the water...cold fresh water.... Their kindness in giving me the water was every bit as restorative as the water itself. 

I never saw Françoise and Roger again after this act of kindness: I would love to know how they got on, and if they reached Santiago... 

Sacred Ground

nearing the Orisson gite on a flatter section of the climb over the Pyrenees

'Any place is sacred ground, 

for it can become a place of encounter with the Divine Presence.'

"These words from Br. David Steindl-Rast, appeared on the 'Word for the Day' on the gratefulness.org website on New Year's Day this year. Wonderful words for the beginning of the year, they reminded me that I can stand on sacred ground and meet God anywhere.
When I am aware of God's presence, I am not only filled with gratitude, but I learn to treat others with reverence and respect."

~John Dew         Archbishop of Wellington, New Zealand

who walked the Camino Frances in 2010

green tree and blue sky

 

En route for La Romieu 

"I thank you God for this most amazing day,

for the leaping greenly spirits of the trees,

and for the blue dream of sky

and for everything which is natural,

which is infinite, which is yes."

~e.e. cummings 

H/T to George for quote

Awe and Wonder

The lushness of spring, in the countryside after Lauzerte

"The elemental spirituality is awe and wonder and delight before the creation. 

The mountains, the birds, the flowers, the children

reach out and touch us with wonder and with joy.

We sense a wonderful Creator.

We respond with thankfulness,

sometimes reverence,

engaging with the holy."

~From "We Well People" 

a book about Celtic Spirituality

by  a New Zealand author, John Hunt

Thanks always

'Climbing' to Rabanal del Camino

"Blessed are you, pilgrim,
when you have no words to give thanks
for all the wonders in every nook of the camino."

~From Saint Anthony's Messenger, Aug 7, 2002
quoted by sil on Camino de Santiago Forum

Miracles every day.....

Leaving Montbonnet on Day 2, with snow lying all around.

"There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as if everything is."

~Albert Einstein

It would be true to say I was 'afraid' when I stepped out alone into the snowy landscape
on just my second morning of walking.
But along with the anxiety, I knew such excitement, such gladness.
How could it be that I was so lucky to be here,
in the morning silence,
immersed in the secrets of the outdoors,
with just a slither of morning sun creeping out across the snowy fields.
It was an Hallelujah moment!

We say thanks

Spider web in Galicia along the Camino of St James, June 2008

"If the only prayer that we ever said

If the only prayer we said was thanks
That would be enough that would be enough
If the only prayer we said was thanks."

From the song "We say thanks"
by Fr Chris Skinner SM
on the CD Awesome God

The first few days walking when I started from Le-Puy-en-Velay
seemed surprisingly easy.
Though my feet did grow tender, I got no blisters,
and my 'training' back at home meant
I wasn't suffering from any sore muscles etc.

But then the weather changed.
It was a hard cold day on the first day crossing the Aubrac Plateau
and my feet became sodden.
Thus began a series of days with drenched feet that led to some blisters
and the soles of my feet became so tender I wanted to scream!!!

But somehow, in the midst of all the sore feet
I had a 'revelation' one day.
One of the 'pieces of paper' I was carrying to inspire me
held the words of the song "We say thanks" by Chris Skinner SM.

And one day I "knew"
that I could spend hours each day thinking about how sore my feet were,
or I could forget the soreness of my feet
and make sure I noticed the glory in the landscapes I was passing through,
and be thankful.

My feet never seemed to hurt so badly again
and that lesson of 'thanks'
was one of the most important ones of my whole Camino.

Step by step....

With my Quebec friends- first day on the Meseta

"......concentrate on only the next step; and keep walking.

Think about what is working well

- not about your aches and pains.

Don't think about the total number of kilometres you are walking.

Only think about what you are walking today.

Right now.

Step by step, hill by hill, rest stop by rest stop

- that's how you accomplish your goal."

Lynne, from Santiago Forum

I carried these words of Lynne's with me -and on some of the hard early days

when the rain was heavy and the tracks were like streams

and my feet were tender

I repeated these words to myself, and they got me through!

(until finally, thankfulness took hold...)