"Do you trust me" - The Lord
Seven months before I began my first pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago I was on an evening walk leaving my neighborhood when a stinging knee pain barked for my attention. A feeling of dread rushed through my veins thinking about how this could affect my trip and training. Then a voice spoke...
"Do you trust me"?
In faith, I responded with the company answer..."Jesus, I trust in You". It is funny how sometimes the answer we know we "should" give is just what we end up saying. There was definitely some question in my declaration. A more authentic response was "Jesus, I (think I) trust in You", or maybe a "Jesus, I want to trust in You". Either way, I kept walking. I had no more knee pain that evening, but with the upcoming pilgrimage, I needed to make sure the knee would be ready.
After visiting my primary care physician, he referred me to a physical therapist. An evaluation revealed a hip deficiency. My hips weren't strong, and that was causing issues down through my knees. He came up with a training plan to get my body strong for the physical demands of the Camino. We had a short window of 6 months to prepare, and we worked hard and made it. When I left for Spain, I felt ready and solid. I had no doubt that my body was ready to carry me.
History has a way of repeating itself. As I write this, I am just under 60 days away from returning to Spain to complete this pilgrimage. My hips are weak once again, and I am back in physical therapy. (When I returned to PT, I was delighted to see that my physical therapist is friend of mine from a local bootcamp group that we both belong to). There is a much shorter window of opportunity for preparation. My body probably isn't ready, and that is causing my heart and my mind to question the decision to go on this trip.
Last night, I prayed with my wife Dawn about the departure date. I've also been praying with a friend on Mondays and this was a major topic of our prayer time. This morning in my quiet time with the Lord, I felt drawn back to a Scripture that has been speaking to me for months. Isaiah 42.
This is what I believe God spoke to me today...Isaiah 42:16
"I will lead the blind on a road they don't know, by paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them."
I think that the Lord is speaking to me, and that He is calling me back to Spain to walk with Him.
What do you think?