God is everywhere, we only need to open our eyes to see.

The weekend started with a few simple words from Rob- we are going to tackle the boxes in the garage. When I heard these words and looked at our garage filled with moving boxes, I felt we had a near impossible task before us. There was no way we were going to go through 19 years of boxes in one weekend. Saturday morning came early as we worked to beat the rain and take advantage of being able to use the driveway to sort through the boxes and at least make lanes where we could walk in and out of the garage. The hours seemed to slip away as my frustration in weak and broken cardboard boxes escalated with every rip or tear of a handle or crushed box found at the bottom of a pile. I lost count of the trips Rob made to the dumpster and couldn’t believe how much artwork and books we owned! That day ended with a truckload of items to donate under a tarp held down creatively since we had yet to find all our tie downs. The next day felt like rinse and repeat. We started early and all the progress made the prior day seemed to disappear as we continued to sort through the remaining boxes. Before long, we not only had paths in the garage, we had sorted all that remained and cleared out more truckloads of trash and donations. The impossible was accomplished. “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Proverbs 14: 23, NIV)

I went to a fundraising event last night and as I listened to the speaker, I heard something that I had never recognized in all the times I had read or heard the story of David defeating Goliath. David knocked Goliath down with the smooth stones and his slingshot, but as he lay on the ground he cut his head off with his own sword. What the enemy intended for harm, God turned as a weapon against the enemy. How did I miss this? I always focused on the size difference and how David was an unexpected warrior. I focused on David’s trust in God knowing that God would give him a victory over this giant. I never thought of how this story relates to this recent season in my life-that what the enemy means for harm, God will use for good. Wow! “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head…So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.” (1 Samuel 17: 45-46, 50-51, NIV)

This verse stood out to me today, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21, NIV). Many times in my life, including now, I have had this image of all the things I thought were my heart’s desire. Many times I encountered heart ache and disappointment. Every time after I realize God’s plans, I would realize that what I had in my heart was nowhere near as miraculous or purposeful as what God had planned for me. I knew this after Rob and I struggled for 7 years to get pregnant. Many times I questioned why God did not want me to be a mom, it was my greatest desire. Instead, God made me a mom at the perfect moment and gave me our two precious miracles. In doing so, and taking us down this journey, we were able to share miracles with others. That would have never happened if the plans I had in my heart would have come to fruition when I wanted it to happen.

This week can best be defined by hard work! Immediately after coming back form Camino, I went straight back to hectic all day meetings at work while coordinating movers to our new home. This week has been closing out the old home while unpacking and getting settled in the new home. So many boxes to to sort through and decide what we keep versus what needs to find a new home. I am seeing things I haven’t seen in 19 years! It is amazing how much accumulates in life. The results are long days, but a special sense of satisfaction as things begin to come together and our new house begins to feel like a home. God reminds us that “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward” (Colossians 3:25, NIV). Fulfillment doesn’t come from the number of boxes unpacked, fulfillment comes from the peace and comfort found in our family coming together in our new home.

I am not sure how you define peace, but peace is what drove me to move and bring our family to our new home. I used to visit my friends in their home and the girls would comment that within five minutes I would be asleep-that’s peace. There was always something special about being connected with nature, the quiet that would shut out the chaos of any day-it never failed. As I settle in our new home, I have been greeted with more wildlife in the last week than I have had a chance to see in a long time. When Helena sat on the back porch today after school she shared she just loved the ripples created in the water as the raindrops fell. I get it, I know all of this was always present, even where we used to live, but now we SEE it. I feel like I can breathe in the quiet. All the little things that felt consuming no longer have any strength when compared to all that surrounds me-the big problems seem so small. That’s peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27, NIV). This peace I feel, it could only be created by God alone.

I know-what a title, right? There is so much more to the story. On the third day of our hike, the one that would be our shortest hike except for the last day, I encountered Buddha…lots of buddhas. The day started after two long days and I was ready for a shorter day. We started a little later than the other days. I should have known it would be a tough day when one of our team fell at the onset of the hike. As my teammate helped to bandage her up, I went to get one of our coveted stamps in our Camino passport that showed all the places we stopped on the route. The lady giving me the stamp asked if I wanted to hear about my aura and to give me words of encouragement on my day. We gathered our items and continued on our hike stopping at a nearby small chapel to collect another stamp. It was at this stop that I saw the stand of memorial candles. As has always been my routine since losing my Titi Luisa during Hurricane Maria, I lit a candle and said a prayer for her. There are days when she is forefront in my mind, even all these years later, and that day was one of those days. She was always the center of our family. Whenever we would visit Puerto Rico, we would always gather in her home. I remember her and Tio Popo’s cooking and recalled how thankful I was that they both chose to share those treasured recipes with Rob and I. I remembered her calling me every week when I was pregnant with the girls, just checking in to make sure I was ok. She was a second mom to many of us and the best mom to her own kids. So, that day as I hiked away from the chapel, Titi Luisa was in my heart just like she was the heart of our family.

I didn’t want to bombard you with my personal experiences on the pilgrimage. Each pilgrimage is a personal journey. Instead, I want to encourage you to go on one. I would encourage you to reach out to my dear friend Reverend Laura Rasmussen at https://www.ultreiaministry.com to find your pilgrimage. I love the meaning in Latin of the word ultreia, it is encouragement to go further. These pilgrimages are more than just a geographical location (and you can find them all around the world-my next one may be Japan!), but to continue going further by incorporating into you your every day living. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage” (Psalms 84:5, NIV)

I stood with debris up to my knees as I looked at what remained of the World Trade towers. The park where I stood had pieces of hand drawn pictures from children that would hang in office cubicles along with magazines from street vendors. All of it piled high as I cut through the debris walking towards the towers to continue our search and rescue efforts.

Like many of you, I know exactly where I was when I first heard of a plane hitting the towers. Many of our friends ended up at our house that evening seeking comfort and assurance since my husband and I both served in the military. As the night went on, I could see that my husband felt the urge to do something more than sit at home. He announced to our friends that he would be going to New York to help with the rescue efforts.

I didn’t plan on writing while on El Camino, but day one has proven to be too much not to share. Seven days ago I could barely move. I could not sit or stand for long and I constantly had to stretch and adjust to make it through the day. My walk was more of a shuffle since my stride caused immediate spasms across my lower back. That was seven days ago. Today, today I just finished my first day on El Camino that was scheduled for 14 miles and ended at 15.7 miles thanks to a little detour (I got lost looking for the place we are staying tonight). I came to Spain knowing that I would be lucky to walk a mile, maybe two. I would be in that moment and then grab a transport to meet my group at our next bed down location. I never imagined I could have a day like today. It seems fitting to pull a verse from James since I am on El Camino where St. James walked. “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up” (James 5:15, NIV).

I found this amazing little book from when Rob and I participated in a Veteran’s Outward Bound hiking trip in Colorado. It seemed fitting as I am getting ready to embark on another pilgrimage seeking quiet and time with God while hiking a few miles a day! In this little book, I found this wonderful quote from Oliver Goldsmith, an Irish poet. “Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” This resonated with me as I am still in recovery from my back and was struggling with the decision if I should still go on this trip. I think if my focus was on making the miles everyday and being able to say I hiked the Camino, I may have never started. Instead, I shifted my focus to doing all that I can on any given day and in any given moment…and that would be enough. The experience is not about marking off the miles, it is about doing something that pushes me-and I know I will be pushed. It is about doing something that gives me quiet time with God while witnessing so much that He created-and I know I will see and experience things I have never seen before. This experience, is about connecting with others on similar journeys-and I know I will come closer to those I know and find new friends in this experience. Just like Oliver Goldsmith said, avoiding this trip because of fear of falling or failing would rob me of so much. So, as I take each step I will know that if on that day I cannot hike anymore, it was still a good day because of all that I was able to experience and I will stand up the next day and continue hiking. I love that as I am in the bible daily, I find verses that resonate with me on any given day. God reminds us of something similar, “though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes” (Proverbs 24:16, NIV)