It was a challenging day. Not just because physically the walk over a mountain range like the Pyrenees can beat up the body. Everyone in this group was grateful that we won’t have another day on Camino as challenging as today. But also because of my emotional struggle with my experiences seven years ago. The cliffs were there but not really as close as I imagined. I wasn’t in imminent risk in those hours where the fog basically blinded me with less than 20ft visibility. There were in fact very few places where you could fall off easily.
But when you cannot see, when fear grips you, icy peril is all you can sense. It fills your lungs till you cannot breathe. But breathe we must. And if we want to allay those fears, we must trust and breathe in the Holy Spirit, the breathe of life, the rouach. Only when we do so will we find Shalom.
The group of pilgrims met tonight for snacks. I came back from the Roncesvalles mass and found them deep in stories of their lives, their day, the people they encountered. There was a thread about grief. But what I noticed most was a sense of trust. The Camino provides. God provides. If we truly believe that Christ walks beside us, we must trust the shepherd to guide us out of times of anxiety. The group filled my lungs with the warm air of love and trust .
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