Walking the Camino de Santiago is a process. It’s a restless time full of aches and pains. Day after day, I woke up, put on my backpack, and started trekking. 8, 10, 15 miles a day I walked.
It’s easy in that atmosphere to get lost in the agony of the hike. Your feet hurt, you have blisters, your legs ache, and most likely, you’re always hungry and probably have a headache. By the time you arrive to your Albergue for the night, you’re sweaty, wiped of all energy, and ready for food and the bed.
But on my trip, I didn’t have that time to rest. It was straight from walking to schoolwork, then from school to dinner and time with my squad. It was 15 days of strict schedules and playing “Follow the Leader,” literally.
15 days of waking up at 6 am and going straight into hiking mountains, walking through streets, or along the side of the road. 15 days of my morning breakfast being croissants and coffee. Of heavy work, little sleep, and no rest.
It would’ve been so easy to succumb to the struggles of The Camino; many people I passed had, but I didn’t. And not with my own strength but with the Lord’s.
I walked the Camino, looking for God’s presence. I desired to witness how God moves in my life–where the Lord shows up, how I can partner with Him in His work, and how He chooses to reveal Himself.
And I found Him in the signs left by the thousands of pilgrims who came before me.
God showed up. He showed up in the unmistakable joy in my spirit, in the sun that gave us light, and in the rain that fell on my body. God is in the mountains, the vineyards, the trees, and the flowers as creation reveals the work of his majesty.
With Him, I can have love, joy, and peace even amidst hardship and trials. When my body hurts, and all my past injuries are raging, God is protecting my spirit. My soul is free; the grave has no claim on me, no weapon formed against me will prosper, the God who created the universe loves me, chose me to be His people, and has called me His Princess.
How on Earth could I not be joyful in all circumstances? I am safe; I am secure, loved, cherished, wanted, and pursued. All the things I long for and desire are fulfilled through God’s love for me.
Almost every morning, as I walked, I would sing excerpts from How Great Thou Art and Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus. Walking through the mountains, I could not help but see God’s greatness.
The plight of humanity is how easy we are to forget God’s goodness. Don’t we read throughout the entire Old Testament, time and time again, how the Israelites wandered from God? How God sent Nahum to Nineveh only 150 years after Jonah was sent?
God is my strength, my comfort, and my sustainer. And sometimes I forget that, but the Lord is always faithful to remind me.
It’s so easy to become surrounded by the things around us. I could have focused on the things of this Earth—the pain in my body, my stinky hiking clothes, and how I literally ate bread every meal for 27 days (I SHOULD probably be gluten-free.) But when you turn your eyes upon Jesus, the things of this Earth will grow strangely dim. Nothing can compare or overshadow the light of His glory and grace. This I repeated to myself the entire Camino. Every morning, I sang it and reminded my soul that it was well.
The Camino de Santiago has signs marking the path everywhere. These signs serve as affirmation for your journey. “You’re going the right way, you’re safe and on the path, keep going, you will make it,” they whisper. And in a way, I took that as God’s words to me.
Just as the signs on the Camino lead us to our destination, God’s signs keep me on my path. And what is my path? I don’t know, but I know my God is directing it.
And so, I will thank God because I see the works of His hands and know they were fearfully and wonderfully made. It is well with my soul, for the Lord is with me. His signs encourage and guide me; He is always speaking. My circumstances are only greater opportunities to glorify My Father, and my soul knows this full well.
My God is a god of His word. What He says He will do and what He promises, I can believe. I am His people, His princess, His beloved daughter, and He loves me.
All signs along the way point to that. He created a beautiful world for me to live in. he has given me a body that I can use to glorify Him. Wherever I look, He is there. My God has made Himself known in all things. (Romans 1:19-20)
As I walked the Camino and saw the signs pointing me to my destination of Santiago, I found peace in the reminder of God’s signs—how He guides my path and continually leads me to His Kingdom.
And while there were struggles, I can look back and dwell on the Lord’s love for me. How through His fullness my spirit has joy in all circumstances.
These truths were made known to me in new and beautiful ways, and I’m forever grateful that my testimony of the Camino was God’s presence.
I walked the Camino looking for a sign from God–His presence, voice, and guiding path. And because He is good, my cup was filled with sign after sign after sign of God’s love. He is with me, and my soul knows it is well.
