Ten years ago when my wife and I made the decision to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain the first thing we did - research. We looked for the who - what - why - where - everything we could learn about the Camino. We learned that many others who made the decision to walk this 500 mile pilgrimage - primarily on foot - jumped into it both feet first - no research - no preparation - often resulted in early failure. No planning - bad planning - in a rush to reach the goal - ended their pilgrimage after only two or three days. We did not want to be those pilgrims - spending time and money to fly to Spain - only to return home four days later. Our preparation time involved research - selection of equipment - testing - returning - new selections - multiple times - as the pilgrimage had multiple variables. Once we had settled on the equipment - actual training for walking began. Our decision had been made in the late fall of 2012 - outside training delayed until spring 2013. Finally - August of 2013 - we left for Spain - our focus on walking daily - through what I referred to as - the back yards of Spain. Flat - hilly - mountainous trails through Northern Spain - Madrid to Santiago - to Finisterre - the end of the world. From the very beginning in the fall of 2012 through a long month of walking - through blisters - very hot days - our eyes firmly focused on the Cathedral at Santiago - to the sacred bones of St. James.
Jesus calls us to walk with Him - eyes on the prize - that golden ring of - holiness - never wavering - never losing sight of what is truly important. The world is filled with distractions - some important - unavoidable - others frivolous. In Lent we are asked to make a few decisions - choosing what is important versus unnecessary. So often what we think is very important - not important after all. One's eternal life - the most important to many - not all. The individual is the only one who can honestly make that decision. All have been called by God - not all with answer that call. Because of the Gift of Free Will - that decision is up to the individual. In Lent - we are called to choose - what prize do we seek - will we keep - our eyes on the true prize.
Deacon Dale
