June 10, 2013. Walking Day Four
Today was a 23.5km day which I completed in 5 hours. The route included one BIG climb up the "Alto de Perdon". (The photo in this Blog's header is of the Alto de Person) It was a very muddy day after yesterday's rain. It added weight to the boots!
The picture is of Jesus Mariano and Luis in front of the Albergue de Jesus y Maria where we spent the night.
One of the interesting occurrences of the Camino grot hat when you start at the beginning groups naturally begin to form over the course of time. Perhaps it's a demonstration of our need for community. It's really a neat experience to participate in one!
Luis likes to chatter so after we were out of Pamplona I paused to stretch and let them get ahead so as to have some time of solitude.
During these earlier morning times, amongst there things, I spend a lot of time praying for divine apointments for the day. Today during this time my mind, as it often does, played word (or idea) association games. Today it went like this:
Divine appointments > patience waiting on the Holy Spirit > discernment to see when the Holy Spirit open up an opportunity > shotgun in Milaca.
Follow that? When I was young, around 10 or 11, my father took me to his hometown, to the family farm to teach me how to shoot a shotgun. It was a "father-son outing" complete with apple pie in Little Falls!
On the drive he taught me a kids level meaning of discernment. In kid terms he basically said discernment is knowing how to see right from wrong in a given situation. Better yet deciding in advance how to choose right in that new situation.
I'm still learning how to apply that! My parents, brother and sister know well how selfish I have been growing up! At times even now with the ripe age of 50 I don't apply my father's definition well! But I'm still working on it!
Today's opportunity:
Walked a ways with a grad student from North Carolina. Not long, about 1/2 an hour, but long enough for the chance to plant some seeds.
That's my game plan right now. Meet people, indirectly plant the idea of joining me in knowing Jesus better, then waiting to see where the Holy Spirit works. My Scottish friend encouraged me yesterday saying that I am just a link in a long chain in a person's life. I just need to be faithful to do my part directing people to God.
I'm curious to see what will percolate over the next 27 days as we journey together!
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