Goodbye...and Hello!

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.    Psalm 139.3

Sevilla                Wednesday, 12th June 2013

Santiago at the week-end was Galicia in true Celtic form. The sky was grey, the air was misty. Rain fell lightly and the ancient, majestic stone buildings and medieval streets spoke of another time and, maybe, another place. The setting was appropriate, and conducive, to making farewells.

I like Santiago. When I enter after several days walk (or many days in the case of my first Camino) it is like meeting up again with an old friend. And I enter in company with new friends, people who were unknown to me just a short time ago but who, by sharing a walk and time with me, have become significant and close in this part of my life. Now the time had come to farewell both Santiago and my new Camino friends.

We may meet many people in the course of a Camino (and life is a Camino). All make an impact on us, but a few are likely to be particularly special. On this Camino I have been especially blessed to meet, and get to know something of, a few dear people. I hope we will maintain contact (this has certainly been the case with my friends from the Camino Frances) but, for now, we must part. And, as someone once said, "Parting is such sweet sorrow." So, on Sunday, I farewelled a dear friend, and on Monday others farewelled me. I am able to say that the sweetness of having met and known them was greater than any parting sorrow. As well, the optimist in me looked to the time when we might meet again.

I had also to say goodbye to Santiago. I did this from the comfort of a raliway carriage as the Madrid train pulled out of Santiago station. The city and its majestice skyline soon receded, and I was on my way to a new adventure.

After overnighting in Madrid, Tuesday brought another train journey, a faster one this time from Madrid to Sevilla. At Santa Justa station in Sevilla I somehow missed the Tourist Information, and was forced to take of, without map or any other aid, to find my hotel which was in the heart of the old city. As cold and wet as Santiago had been, Sevilla was hot and sunny. The temperature was around 30-31 degrees. I was soon lost but, aftere many requests to passers-by, about and hour-and-a-half in time, and maybe 7km of shoe leather, I found my hotel. It presented itself like an oasis in the desert. As I entered from the bustle and noise of a hot and busy street, I was overcome by the cool and calm of a shady courtyard with a fountain gently rippling water among sweet greenery. Had I entered heaven? Not yet! That´s still to come, but I´m not likely to blog it!!

When I had settled in, and recovered from the mammoth exercise of finding this place - and when I had visited the nearby Tourist Office and armed myself with a map, I had time to reflect on the extreme contrasts of these past few days. I also marvelled at the realisation that God had been with me throughout. I thank Him. Not one experience befalls me that He is not familiar with. It has been said that variety is the spice of life. God, it seems, is into variety. I´m glad of this. Having rested, I am now ready to taste of the variety He will share with me in the next little while. I have left some beautiful new friends, but I am not alone. God is with me. Hallelujah!





O Holy God, and Most Loving Father,

I have already thanked You for my new friends. I commit them to Your ongoing care.

I thank You for my safe arrival into this very different city of Sevilla. I thank You for all that awaits me here, and beyond. I give myself fully into Your care.            Amen.