The First Steps

St. James the Apostle

A few nights ago I was sitting outside thinking.  I was thinking of my life and of how I had come to be were I am today.  I realized that I was happy.  I like my life and who I am.  It's been a very rough year, the most difficult I have ever had, but in the end my faith has helped me, and I am grateful.  Then I started thinking of my future.  Where do I see myself? What does God have in store for me?  So many different paths for me to follow...where do I go.  My life has always been this way.  I have had definite plans for my life that I was sure would be what I was going and should do.  But God always had other plans.  He has always led me and guided me, but almost as if I were blindfolded.  Never really knowing where I was going.  The hard part is, I'm not sure that I have learned how to let go and trust Him.  Then a thought came to me.  I decided to go on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. It is something that I have wanted to do before.  I've looked it up a few times and always thought that one day I would go.  But the other night I felt "called" to go.  I immediately had thoughts about expense and was I being irresponsible for going on a trip to Europe, but I realized that I had to do it.  That was the first "step" in my pilgrimage.  My journey.

There are so many reasons for making this pilgrimage.  And many of them I'll get to later in this blog.  This is a trip of Faith, of Trust, but first it is a trip of Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving to God for my life.  Thanksgiving for all of the abundant blessing he has given me.  Thanksgiving for all of the joy and pain, gladness and sorrow, laughter and tears, that have made me who I am.  And Thanksgiving for helping me through this trip to see who I am.  And who I need to be.

Symbols of the Camino

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.  His love is everlasting."