Where Am I Going?

Before leaving Carceres I enquired at the Tourist Office for the way out of the city onto the Camino. The obliging young man marked up a map for me. I was glad of this because, when the time came for departure, the map was all I had to rely on. There were absolutely no signs whatsoever along the way.

I knew I had to pass the Plaza de toros. Then I was to take the CC - 38 road out of town. I needed to walk on the roadside for 2 - 3 Km (not too bad as traffic was light) before a dirt road would appear on the left to take me to Casar de Caceres. This all played out as it was meant to, but still there were no indications on the ground that I was going the right way. The dirt road turn off was a major gamble for me. I took it because it's location was roughly where I'd been told it should be,and there was no other option in sight. The very first yellow arrow I saw was as I entered Casar de Caceres, 11km later. The thought entered my head - what if I'd walked 11 Km in the wrong direction? Thankfully, I had not!

I've managed to lose the way a few times to date. Fortunately each time I've eventually recovered direction. Two occasions in particular stand out for me. The first occurred when I was not too far from the day's destination. Somehow I managed to take a direction quite opposite to the way I was meant to go. When I realised my error it was too late to turn back. Now, I'm quite sure that I'm walking this Camino (indeed every "Camino") with Jesus. Realising I was lost I cried out ( quite foolishly it now seems to me) "Lord, why have you got us lost?"

I saw traffic way ahead in the distance. I set out toward it and eventually came to a motorway. On a side road I flagged down a driver and asked directions to my destination. It meant quite a trek along a very busy road. I reckoned if God wanted me to go the extra mile, then I should oblige. But this was ridiculous - it added about 6 Km to my journey!

My second adventure involved a turn off from the highway onto a dirt track. The signage was not too clear, yet there seemed to be only one way to go. I set off cheerfully. I tramped and tramped with a growing sense that I might be heading the wrong way. Eventually I came to a farm. From what I saw the inhabitants seemed to be just sheep and dogs. I did however find one human. When I enquired for the Camino he gave me directions I simply didn't understand. He then led me through the farmyard, we tramped through some undergrowth and arrived at the side of a river. He announced, "there's the Camino". It was on the other side of the river. He then indicated that I should cross to the far bank. Then he was off! The river wasn't too wide, maybe 15 m, and there were stepping stones. The challenge was that the first stepping stone was two strides out from the very slippery bank where I precariously held my balance. I thought, 'here goes' and put my foot, sock and boot complete, into about 300 mm of cold water. The second foot followed before I positioned myself on the first stepping stone. There followed something that would have fitted well into a Charlie Chaplin movie. I was considerably relieved to reach the far side and clamber clumsily up the bank. It was truly a miracle that only my feet ended up in the water! It appears that the good Lord sometimes lets us get our feet wet.

Many, if not all,the lessons I learn on the Camino are applicable to life in general. I can receive this and seek to make appropriate use in daily living of what I learn on the way. It looks like God allows us to lose our way occasionally. I recall the Israelites journey out of Egypt into the Promised Land. It took them forty years. They could have done it in a matter of weeks, but God had so much to teach them on the way that it took so much longer. Also, as I've already hinted, sometimes God allows us to get our feet wet.

I have realised that my step is jaunty and my demeanour altogether confident when I see the yellow arrows and I know I'm going the right way. But when the arrows haven't appeared for some time, the very coquetry seems to take on an alien appearance. Doubt creeps in, my pace lessens and suddenly I feel tired and uncertain. And so it is in life. When I give myself to follow God's way there is a lightness in my step and as assurance about me (this I describe as my confidence - which is in Him, and not in me). When I'm out of step with God it's just like when I lose my way on the Camino - I pull out all the stops to find it again.

I'm walking the Camino with Jesus. I also set out to walk every day of my life in His company. This does not mean I may not lose my way from time to time but, if I remember that He is with me - always - then I can look to Him to bring correction.

PS.  I thought I'd well-and-truly covered yellow arrows in an earlier post. Then I came across this one. I call it:

THE ULTIMATE SIGNPOST

To me it points the way out of the garbage and up to heaven.

Cheers.