Woke early but turned over. Left at 6:30. Breakfast early which helped the day. Shorter stretches for next 4 days. More tourists pilgrims on the road. One girl walked by and oh man she smelt delicious. I haven't smelt like that for 30 days. Rain on road again. I washed my cloths 2 days ago but couldn't dry them because of the rain. I found a laundrette and washed everything, even the cloths I was in. Got them back all clean and dry, so good. Got a bed tonight.
Read this quote in my travel guide "the foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise man grows it under his feet" J R Oppenheimer.
It got me thinking of the here and now. I've been looking into the past quite a bit (not unexpectedly because of Linda dying) also looking into the future and the certain hope we have in Jesus. But what about the now. The Camino makes you dwell somewhere between the past and the future but it not really the present, it a funny place that is now, but in the making.
Grief is little like that, you go to the past and you somehow don't live in the now. You think of the future and you can't see how. The now gets frozen over and you peer through the ice but the now is not real.
I found an open church and sat for a while and asked "Lord what about the now"? No great revelation but the promise "I will be with you". It wonderful that whatever happens our wonderful Lord goes with us.
I don't know what my future holds and how long I will have but I'm in His safe hands.
I'm excited as to what the NOW will be when I return home. Will it be like the past but changed and reenergised. Will it be something new, that will challenge the norm. I'm not sure.
"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:9-10
I hope you are living the NOW and not letting it slip by.
One thing I know what ever the NOW will be it will be FULL.