Dear Friends and Loved Ones
May 14, 2014 will probably be here before I finish typing this Update, but
I wanted to share something very special and intimate with you. For the last
two weeks In my daily prayers, I have asked repeatedly for God to give me a
Spiritual experience on the trail to bring me into His presence. I wanted to
walk closer with Him. Each day, I repeated this request. The sense that
something powerful was going to happen moved like a shadow around me. I invited
Izabela (my El Camino trail Buddy) to our Church to be blessed with me for our
Pilgrimage. A lot of my precious family and friends came to be with me in this
special moment.
Our leaders were prepared for this. Izabela and I wore our trail clothes and hiking boots, brought our fully packed (overweight) backpacks, walking staffs, and hats. At the appropriate time, our Minister Todd Lackie, called us up front and men helped us into our backpacks. The Elders (leaders in the Kenwood Church), with Todd, encircled us and laid their Hands on us as each man individually prayed for our safety, our health, and that we be blessed with strength and courage to finish. These humble men of God prayed with sincerity and with the belief that their prayers would be heard and answered. They asked that we be watched over and kept out of harm. And they prayed from their heart with that guileless faith. By this time Izabela and I were moved to tears. Then Todd announced to the congregation they could come up and bless us too. I asked them to touch us so we could carry their imprints as a prayer on the trail. My body, mind and heart began to hum with a gentle vibration. As each person came and touched us with love, they blessed us. It was a moment of purity and unguarded love. I could see it reflected in the eyes of my family, friends and my Church family. It was if there were a direct connection to God. For those brief moments, the love was unconditional without asking anything in return. A sense of total acceptance and security washed over me. It was incredible, as if I were weightless and navigating through life in a perfect "flow." One little 86 year young lady who suffers from arthritis, bent down and said, "I want to bless your precious feet." She knew the constant pain I had been struggling with in my feet. I was humbled beyond description as she painstakingly got to her feet after her blessing. Each person took these sweet moments seriously and gave soulfully. As we walked away, it hit me... This WAS that powerful experience I had asked for on the trail. This gift came to me right here in my home town.
They say everyone "hits their wall" on the El Camino... Everyone is reduced to tears on the El Camino because of the brutal demands of the Trail. I expect to "hit my wall." I suspect there will come that awful moment when I don't think I can take another step. Then as I am driven to my knees, I have this beautiful picture of all the loving people who blessed me and prayed for my courage and strength. I have that incredible body memory of my heart vibrating and know this God sent energy will move me to my feet and on down the trail.
Our leaders were prepared for this. Izabela and I wore our trail clothes and hiking boots, brought our fully packed (overweight) backpacks, walking staffs, and hats. At the appropriate time, our Minister Todd Lackie, called us up front and men helped us into our backpacks. The Elders (leaders in the Kenwood Church), with Todd, encircled us and laid their Hands on us as each man individually prayed for our safety, our health, and that we be blessed with strength and courage to finish. These humble men of God prayed with sincerity and with the belief that their prayers would be heard and answered. They asked that we be watched over and kept out of harm. And they prayed from their heart with that guileless faith. By this time Izabela and I were moved to tears. Then Todd announced to the congregation they could come up and bless us too. I asked them to touch us so we could carry their imprints as a prayer on the trail. My body, mind and heart began to hum with a gentle vibration. As each person came and touched us with love, they blessed us. It was a moment of purity and unguarded love. I could see it reflected in the eyes of my family, friends and my Church family. It was if there were a direct connection to God. For those brief moments, the love was unconditional without asking anything in return. A sense of total acceptance and security washed over me. It was incredible, as if I were weightless and navigating through life in a perfect "flow." One little 86 year young lady who suffers from arthritis, bent down and said, "I want to bless your precious feet." She knew the constant pain I had been struggling with in my feet. I was humbled beyond description as she painstakingly got to her feet after her blessing. Each person took these sweet moments seriously and gave soulfully. As we walked away, it hit me... This WAS that powerful experience I had asked for on the trail. This gift came to me right here in my home town.
They say everyone "hits their wall" on the El Camino... Everyone is reduced to tears on the El Camino because of the brutal demands of the Trail. I expect to "hit my wall." I suspect there will come that awful moment when I don't think I can take another step. Then as I am driven to my knees, I have this beautiful picture of all the loving people who blessed me and prayed for my courage and strength. I have that incredible body memory of my heart vibrating and know this God sent energy will move me to my feet and on down the trail.
I like to think this experience will give me that ounce of energy it takes for me to keep going. To believe I CAN take that step that feels impossible. As a psychologist, I know that if we have experienced a feeling once we can bring that feeling back and experience it again. I suspect there are more exciting revelations waiting for me on El Camino. I will get back with you on them. Meanwhile, please keep Izabela and me in your hearts and prayers. I am one of those people who believes there is great power in prayer and that all I have to do is ask and I will be sustained.
Well, as my brother Troy said, we only have 1,665,000 more steps to go... Smile....
From my heart to yours, Sidney/Mom/Grandma
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