Lago to Cee — El Dorado Springs Church of God (Holiness)

[EDITOR’S NOTE: We didn’t get yesterday’s blog entry posted until today. So if you’re reading the whole blog and haven’t yet read the post for October 12, you may want to scroll down and read that first!]

You hear people talk about defining moments in their lives. Well, today was one of those defining moments for me. It defined me, and confirmed the fact that I’m not a very smart person! Let me tell you why I admit that to you.

Yesterday, I indicated to you that the walk today would be another long one. Plus, the weather forecasters were saying that it would rain today. I know my time here is a small sample size — only a little over a month — but I really think the Spanish weather forecasters do a better job than some of ours in the States. They haven’t missed it yet!

First of all, for today, they said it was going to rain and it did rain. Secondly, they said that it was going to rain a lot, and it did rain a lot. And thirdly, they said that the wind was going to be very, very strong today, and it was exactly that.

I walked out of the hostel a few minutes after 6:00 this morning to begin my walk that, unbeknownst to me at that moment, would become possibly the toughest stage so far! It rained with such force that the raindrops felt like ice crystals peppering me! The wind blew so strongly that I couldn’t even converse with the man I was walking with — in fact at times I had to lean down and force myself to actually be able to walk. Besides the conditions I have encountered on mountains, this was 5 hours of some of the most brutal conditions I have encountered near sea level. It was so ugly that as I arrived at my hostel today, there were several who had walked the entire Camino, but they said they decided to catch the bus today and skip walking this stage — smart pilgrims! When I arrived at my hostel, I was soaked, and my pack that was covered with a waterproof cover, which was also covered with a waterproof rain poncho, was also soaked.

But the reason I’m telling you this is that it sets the stage for the rest of the story. After walking by myself in the dark and in the rain a couple of hours, I went through a small village with just a few buildings. There was a little covered area, so I decided to step under it and get out of the rain for a couple of minutes. While I was there feeling sorry for myself, a man appeared on the trail and stepped in there as well. I asked him what town he had come from this morning.

He said, “Oh I stayed in a little hostel in this village, so I’m just starting my walk now.” He said, “This rain is horrible!”

I said, “Yeah it is.”

He wanted to know where I had started the day. I told him, “At the town of Lago, about two hours back.”

He couldn’t believe I had been walking that long in that kind of rain. But then he asked me, “Do you mind if I walk with you?”

I said, “Please do!” But I also said, “You are young and may want to walk faster. I won’t be offended if you want to go on.”

But he said, “I think it is safer if we go together,” especially since the lightning was starting to flash and the thunder beginning to pop. We officially introduced ourselves, and I learned that he was from Hungary and his name was Peter.

As we left that little dry refuge, we found out that our pace was very compatible. It was easy talking with Peter, except when the wind was blowing so hard we couldn’t hear each other. During one of those times we could hear each other, I used one of my frequent lead-in questions as a conversation starter.

I said, “Peter, what brought you here to walk to Camino de Santiago?

His answer, within the first sentence, caused me to understand the reason I was out in this driving rain, with the wind howling around us. Peter began his answer by saying, “Well, I was like that hamster on the wheel! I’ve been going around and around and around, with no purpose in life. I have had no happiness. I’ve been struggling with this for quite a long time.”

So some time back he decided to travel to two of the most religious cities in the world. He said. “I first went to Jerusalem and spent time there. Then I went to Rome and spent time there. But I still couldn’t find anything to fill that void.”

So he said, “A month ago, I went to my boss, and said, ‘I need several weeks off.’”

His boss said, “Okay, if that’s what you need, I’ll give it to you.”

The reason he needed that time off was so he could go to a third religious city — the city of Santiago in Spain. He was hoping that the very religious city of Santiago would help him find what he kept calling “happiness.”

On this horribly rainy and windy morning, Peter opened his heart and told me why he was here! When he finished, he turned to me and said, “Joe, what’s your story? Why are you here?”

Well, I was born for moments like this! First of all, I told him that I was a pastor of a church, where God was doing some incredible things. I told him that my church had so kindly granted me a sabbatical. I also told him that I had been to Jerusalem, and to Rome, and three days ago, I was in Santiago. But I told him that a city — even the religious cities of Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago — could not bring happiness nor fill that void in his life! This opened the door to tell him that the only thing that could fill that void was a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God, and came to bring us peace.

Now I wish I could tell you that Peter knelt in the rain and gave his heart to Jesus, but it didn’t happen - yet!

But he asked questions, and as I told him that I had been toning my body and my mind and my soul, that really clicked within him. Peter was seeking, but he didn’t know that his could only be filled by a Person and not a religious city.

Unfortunately, Peter was going to another city, so our trails went in different directions, and we had to say goodbye. But before we did, we exchanged contact information. I told him to keep seeking God, and he would find him, and ultimately find peace.

So let me just say a couple of things before I try to find something to eat and then get some rest for the last stage tomorrow. Don’t think that every day you walk with God will include a beautiful sunrise and perfect weather. You will go through rainy days and dark days and windy days. That doesn’t mean you’re out of God’s will. Today some are teaching that a true child of God will only have good days. That’s simply not true — on the Camino to heaven, there will be days like I had today! The other thing you need to remember is that sometimes in those moments when you least expect it, God will send someone into your life who needs you, and more importantly, needs God! Don’t miss those divine assignments from God!

So even though today was so incredibly tough and I arrived totally depleted, yet I wouldn’t have wanted to have taken a bus and missed that appointment with Peter! I ask you to join me praying that Peter will find peace, and more importantly, the Prince of Peace!

Sorry, only a few pictures today - my phone was in a Ziploc bag trying to stay dry!