Day 52
“All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.” Julian of Norwich 
These are incredible words that were given to Julian in a vision. Many believed she had plumbed the mysteries of the unseen world. 

Her words have been used to give comfort and reassurance in time of stress and chaos. I know that people have said them to me and that I in turn have said them to others. They are again not simple words that with the snap of one’s finger magically all one’s troubles will disappear. But rather through the difficulty and pain and hurt, grace and strength and courage will be given to face whatever trials come. And in the end all will be well. 

This takes something to believe this…A leap of faith if you will, the hope of enduring…trusting that all will be well. 

Please humor me as I explain once again that one of the reasons my blog is called “tripping into grace” is because I am rather clumsy. It doesn’t take being around me long to see me trip or even fall–whether that is walking, running, riding a bike, whatever. But each time I do I learn something…a grace is imparted. Sure I get hurt, but I also get a new perspective, a new insight about myself and even the world around me. And I can say or hear with confidence:
”All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.” I hope for you that you can hear these words and begin to believe that too. 

Buen Camino 

Day 51
“Come to me, you who are weary and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” Jesus 

Weariness, tiredness, exhaustion….and the thought of rest, real rest is just almost unbelievable. What was Jesus thinking saying this to people who were oppressed and persecuted? What do we think when we hear such words?

I do not believe these are easy fix words from Jesus. I think this this is challenging These words of Jesus, however, are a gift to people weary…weary of the chaos, weary of the pain, weary of the drudgery; people looking for hope, healing and peace; a calm in the storm. 

What Jesus didn’t intend is for us to come to him, give him a cursory nod and run back out into the storms and even create more chaos for ourselves and wonder “where the hell did Jesus go and where is my rest? This didn’t work Jesus! You promised something you aren’t fulfilling your promises!”

Easy answers and quick solutions are not being offered rather a life long pursuit of joy, peace, hope and love in grace. A chance to breathe deeply. 

Taking time to reflect, listen, play, enjoy is difficult for many people in the modern world especially in the USA. In many other parts of the world they have this beautiful thing called “siesta”. It’s is an opportunity to take time to rest, let your food digest, relax, step away from your work and your burdens and just be..

“Come to me, you who are weary and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.”
“Come to me, you who are weary and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.”
It’s worth considering. 

Buen Camino 

Day 50
“Do not go where the path may lead go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson 

These are such wise words. And yet after walking the camino where you followed the path, the Way an ancient “trail” marked by yellow arrows and shells, that now leads to Santiago de Compostela but before was a trade route to the sea, you wonder about this advice…”do not go where the path leads go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
This is great for all of us with a sense of adventure. Blaze a trail. Follow the stars. Set a new course. 

But what of those of us that are a bit more timid. That carry the weight of anxiety and worry in our backpacks. We like a little more assurance that there will be a water fountain in the next town, perhaps food to eat, and a nice comfortable bed, even a private bathroom? What of those of us who carry with us the weight of needing to know how much longer, how many more miles/kilometers it will be before I can take my boots/sandals off for a few minutes? What of those of us who count on others? We are not so good at blazing trails. 

But we can. If we will simply slow down long enough to realize that we don’t have to do what everyone is doing. Bear with me on this: 

…I don’t have to walk as fast or far, ride my bike as fast or far, be the best but simply do my best;

…I can sit down at any time and take a rest;

But there is more to it than that. Look at it this way:

…That building community, being patient and kind is blazing a trail in a world that is being destroyed by hate and violence;

…that sharing what I have because I have more than enough is blazing a trail in a world where people are hungry and going without and others hoard and waste;

…that forgiving and loving your enemy is blazing a trail because it takes courage and love and overcoming prejudice and fear;

…that justice, goodness, and love blaze a trail in a world that seeks injustice, evil, and hate and by blazing that trail people will follow and blaze more trails and this world will be transformed. 

Is it easy to blaze a trail? No. But then it’s not easy to walk the Camino or even journey through this life. Is it worth it? Absolutely. It changes everything. 

Buen Camino!

Day 49
From the movie “The Way” Daniel Avery speaking to his father Tom on their way to the airport. 

Daniel: You should fly with me.
Tom: What?
D: You should fly with me.

T: Yeah, right.

D: Turn the car around. Pack a bag. Grab your passport. Forget your golf clubs. Come on a father-son trip. It’ll be fun.

T: When you coming back?

D: I don’t know.

T: So you don’t have a plan.

D We agreed that if I let you take me to the airport you wouldn’t lecture me about how I’m ruining my life.

T: I lied. You know most people don’t have the luxury of just picking up and leaving it all behind. 

D. Well, I’m not most people. And if I don’t have your blessing that’s fine. But don’t judge this. Don’t judge me.

T: My life here might not seem like much to you. But it’s the life I choose.

D: You don’t choose a life dad, You live one.” 
This is such a poignant scene in the movie The Way. It sets up all that follows. The change of attitude; the transformation of understanding…”you don’t choose a life…you live one.”

You really don’t have to watch the movie to appreciate this scene. A father and son who have a difficult relationship. The grown son appears to be putting life on hold to travel the world (live his life) and the father disagrees with his decision…thus the conversation on the way to the airport. 

If you haven’t seen the movie I encourage it. It’s about the camino but there is so much more to it than that. You may want to walk the camino afterwards but do more research because it’s more difficult than it appears in the movie. But watch the movie to listen and learn about living life. 

“You don’t choose a life…You live one.” 
Buen Camino!