The Camino De Santiago

As I sit here in the cafeteria of my residencia, I am reflecting on the 75 miles of backpacking with my team the Camino De Santiago de Compostela through the beautiful green pastures filled with sheep, cows and horses in the area of Galicia in Northern Spain. From beginning in Lugo to the end in Santiago de Compostela and every town along the way was a lesson learned.
The Camino of Santiago, known in English as the walk of St. James, is the path in which James, the disciple of Jesus, walked through Europe sharing the good news with people he came in contact with. Since the discovery of his body in Santiago, the Camino has been used by Catholics as a way of penitents of sins. Priests would tell their people to walk a certain part of the trail for remission of sins. Today, the trail is used commercially and some people still do the trail as a spiritual journey for a week or for the whole trail, which takes 36 days to do.
I specifically think about the highlights of the adventure, the people I met along the way or that I got to know and the sights that I have seen along the way and am just amazed by the love of the Creator of the universe.
Out of the six days there, my most memorable were the first, second and last day of hiking and they were probably the most physically draining of the days. The first day we ended up almost going in circles and walked for 8 hours of the day instead of only 4 hours. We were on a path for about 3 hours that if we had continued to stay on it, we would have ended up back in Lugo. We walked on a stretch of highway with the sun beating down on our bodies and nowhere to get water for miles. This being my first backpacking experience, I prayed "Lord, there's no way I can do this for 4 more days. In my weakness Lord, be my strength and help me to delight in that."
We finally got to the destination of Friole and my calves were the sorest they've ever been and I was thirsty and exhausted. Matt told me he thought they had killed me as I layed in the fetal position in the Pensíon. Here, we met a lovely old couple from Western France who had the same experience we did on the first day as well. Along with that, the husband injured his foot so they were having to take a taxi the next day to Melide to get it looked at. The wife was so delightful and fun to talk to.
The second day we hiked 15 miles to Sobrado Dos Monxes, where we stayed at a MONASTERY! It was amazing to stay in a place that was rich in thousands of years of history and such a place of wonder. The man that checked us in there was so nice and caring. Heck, everyone in Sobrado was nice and caring. The last day was rough and humbling as it rained all day in our final push to Santiago. It was rainy, windy, and cold all day and boy was I ever in a bad mood all that day. It was one of those days where I wish that I wasn't so convicted by God to not use four letter words. I could have easily said every wirty dord in the book that day. However, the last hour push to the city was nothing but blue skies as we reached the Cathedral of the Apostle James.
So what did I learn from this experience? All I know is that this experience has left me different than I was before I left. I have learned what it means to grant grace to others because now I've learned to grant grace towards myself when I screw up. I almost forgot that there's nothing I can do to be saved and that I am only saved by the grace of God in my own life. I was just walking today to our team meeting and I realized I forgot my camera. Instead of beating up on myself, the Lord said "there's nothing you can do about it now. Don't beat yourself up and just know that my grace is sufficient for you. You have never been able to earn my love and you never will. All I ask is that you accept my gift of grace and love...that's all."
Think about this trip, I am also reminded of the 23rd Psalm when it says

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He maketh me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside still waters
He restores my soul

This journey truly has been one of spirituality for me. I will take everything I have learned from this experience and with it, my life will never be the same ever again. Thank you, Lord, for this moment that you blessed me with. I will never forget it ever in my whole life. I'm thankful for grace and mercy and for your love that you have freely given to me. I know there's nothing I can do to deserve it, but I joyfully accept it with all my heart. Thank you for showing me the way to show grace to others is to first show grace to myself.

Random lyrics that were in my head on the trip


He uses love like a bullet from a gun
She's careful like a surgeon
Everywhere he goes, they all know to run
But she can't help but love him.
- The L.A. Song by Dave Barnes


I am alive in this moment
In this moment, I am found
I am alive in this moment
In this moment, I belong
- In This Moment by Starfield


Life is beautiful
But it's complicated
We barely make it
We don't need to understand
There are miracles, miracles
- Life is Beautiful by Vega4

I will lift my eyes to the maker of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the calmer of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the healer of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to you
- I Will Lift My Eyes by Bebo Norman

Now it's picture time:

This is a picture of the cathedral at Lugo, our starting point

This is a church in the distance along the way

More pictures coming soon....