Pilgrimages Rarely Go As Planned
(Read or Click Here to listen to the Podcast)
Hello friends,
Hope you’re enjoying your month of June. We’re in the 4th week of our Summer Series, and I have some surprising news. As many of you know, I am in the middle of my first experience writing a book. I just got the first draft back from the publisher.
Here’s how the process works: You write your book draft and send it to the publisher. They read it all the way through and send it back to you with the changes that need to be made.
The good news is they LOVE the book! The challenge … I have a lot of editing to do!
This isn’t surprising for any first draft. You’re going to get changes back from the publisher. Some say this stage can be even more demanding than writing the first draft, especially if it’s your first book. I'm still recovering from the shock of seeing all the red marks and circled red sections with “rewrite” written next to them. I’m teetering between knowing that God has called this book into being and that there is nothing too hard for Him and being scared silly by the work ahead!
It reminds me of a pilgrimage principle: Pilgrimages require continual flexibility! When you think you have your trip planned to a “T,” a detour changes everything. Pilgrimage itineraries should always be written in pencil!
It makes me think of my friend Perry, who had a lifelong dream to walk the 2650-mile Pacific Coast Trail. He’d been a hiker all his life. He made all the preparations and set out to walk the whole thing, only to be injured 1/3 of the way through and forced to return home. He set out again the next year, planning to finish. Nope, another injury. It was only in the third year, when he went back again, that he was able to finish!
As Camino Pilgrim, Ted Harro, puts so perfectly, “Pilgrimages rarely go as planned. They’re evolving journeys, not packaged holidays.”
As it is in pilgrimage, so it is in life. There is a constant need to adjust, stay optimistic, and keep walking!
This week, as I’ve been faced with this challenge, the Lord has been reminding me how He sustained His people in the desert. Each day, He would provide just enough manna and quail for that day. He’s been doing the same for me. I’ve been amazed at how He provides the perfect Bible passages and readings each morning in my time with Him. Then, I get a phone call or text from a friend, “just checking in.” By the time I sit down to work, He has lifted my heart and given me the clarity to see what I need to do that day.
What does your journey look like right now? Is there something you believe God has called you to, that you thought would go one way, and you’ve hit a detour, or the road is blocked off completely?
Are you overwhelmed when you look at the rocks across your path or the incline, unsure how you’ll reach your destination?
I know how you feel! When we pull out the whole map, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with how far there still is to go. That’s why God so graciously tells us to only think about today,
Together, let’s lift a prayer for His guidance and provision and watch Him be faithful. It’s amazing how doable the journey is when you take just one day’s section of the trail at a time.
So, at this detour, we are going to put our weekly Summer Series on hold. We'll be back on the trail again soon.
Soli Deo Gloria,
(To God be the Glory)
Lori
Stepping Out on an Adventure of Faith: What I Learned About God Walking the PCT, by Perry Gabbard
A Journey in Humility, Ted Harro’s interview about the twists and turns of his Camino pilgrimage, on the Renovare Life with God podcast