This moment

spring leaves, one morning en route for Moissac

"We have only this moment,

sparkling like a star in our hand,

and melting like a snowflake."

~Sir Francis Bacon

One of the 'lessons' for me on the Camino was that you could spend time 
thinking about your sore feet or other body woes 
or you could just accept them, and instead notice 
and be thankful
and there were always so many things to notice and be thankful for
now, in the present moment.

 Church belltower in Galicia, on one of the last days of the walk to Santiago

"There are thoughts which are prayers. 

There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, 

the soul is on its knees." 

 ~Victor Hugo 

seen on Kelle Hampton's blog

Seeing a church tower in the sunlight always brought me joy

and made me think of all those who in centuries gone by

had walked to Santiago. 

...a moment of communion
thinking of the ever-flowing river of pilgrims...

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

Early Morning

In the countryside after Astorga- walking early- 
with the remnants of a thunderstorm still in the air

"I'll tell you how the sun rose a ribbon at a time."

~Emily Dickinson 

On warmer days in France and Spain 

I always preferred to start walking in the morning cool.

To walk as the world awoke to a new day 

was always a time of real joy for me

deep quiet joy.

And this particular morning I walked with my Quebec friends.

It had been an unbearably hot night,

until in the early hours, a loud thunderstorm began. 

We were glad to escape early, 

though nervous lest the storm return while we were in the open.

We were all excited, after so many days of 'flat' walking

to be heading for the mountains again, 

towards Rabanal del Camino... Foncebadon..... Cruz de Ferro...

places of mysterious names, 

all in the higher land that we couldn't wait to climb.

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

reverence

Approaching Gite DuBarry, near Lelin-Lapujolle

"Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, 

in which you can walk with love and reverence."

~ Henry David Thoreau

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