This pilgrimage began for me with the decision to take four weeks off from work. I have never been away from my business for more than two weeks in my entire career. To relinquish control and trust that things will be okay is a major change and challenge for me. I am thankful to my business partner Ken for his encouragement to do this and for our employees who can handle things well while I am gone.
Once I moved past the concerns about leaving the office for this period of time, I started to focus on the reasons that walking the Camino appeals to me. First and foremost is a deep desire to spend quiet time with God and with my family. Too often my spiritual life and family life get lost in the endless hustle and bustle of each day. I hope to deepen my relationship with God and learn to hear Him no matter the circumstances. While over-working through the years, I have neglected deepening my relationships with Helen and Hunter. My desire for our time together is to be able to share our deepest hopes and dreams for and with each other in ways that are not possible with only little snippets of time. Also, Hunter will be leaving for college next fall and I am thankful to have so much time together before he leaves. I wish that I could have similar time with our daughters and son-in-law.
The idea of walking the Camino also appeals to my sense of adventure. I have never done anything like this before. To know only the starting point and date and the ending point and date, and not have preplanned every day in between is wonderfully freeing. I am excited that we can wake up and ask God what to do each day. I want to learn to appreciate each day and to live in the present rather than in the past or the future. The simplicity of walking a path daily through beautiful country as many men and women have done before me unencumbered by a lot of stuff draws me. I must admit however, that I am still challenged by the thought of walking long distances for 25 days straight. I am trusting God to show us the pace He has for us.
People from all over the world walk the Camino. Everyone on the Camino is looking for God, whether they know it or not. I look forward to meeting some of them and being able to share my personal story of life with Jesus.
Finally, to all my family and friends who are reading this, please pray for us. Specifically, that we will be transformed through this experience into the people God desires us to be.
Buen Camino,
Wick
