Ancient Paths

This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your soul.  Jer. 6:16


  

                                   This music video is a beautiful prayer.

Stanton Lanier's Blog

A fellow pilgrim sent me an email that I received the day I came off the trail on Feb. 16th.  What a surprise !  He had walked the Camino de Santiago many years ago (long before the movie, The Way, was released) and I had seen the beautiful pictures he had taken when he came to visit my dear friend, Nona. He watered the seed to one day walk the Camino that had been planted by Sr. Joyce Rupp from reading her book "Walk in a Relaxed Manner." The content of his email follows: 

Maybe you'll remember me. I'm Nona's nephew (by marriage) and we met at her place. I had walked the Camino de Santiago shortly before we met, and I've gone back to walk several other sections in France and Portugal. Jessica has forwarded your blog  to me and if possible I'd appreciate you putting me on your distribution list. We visited Nona in November and she mentioned you were undertaking the journey.

As fellow hiker and pilgrim, I wish you Godspeed. What a gutsy undertaking.  If I may, I'd like to share a scripture passage from Jeremiah that has meant much to me:  

"Yahweh says: 'Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your soul.'"

May you find much to grow into while walking.

Peace

Frank 

I had made the decision to come off the trail but on that same day while I was riding home in the car, I received affirmation that the Lord wanted me to continue. The Lord sent a scripture verse through an acquaintance who had no idea I was off the trail for an undetermined amount of time.

When I replied to his email and told him I was off the trail and thanked him for the generous donation to Homes For Our Troops, this was his response:
 
Courage and fortitude.  There are no rules for a pilgrimage--you do what is necessary to make it. If that means taking a breather, so be it.

I'll think of you standing atop rocky Mt. Katahdin, marveling in Maine's autumn foliage, to say nothing of your triumph.

Peace

Frank

This past week after the laser procedure on my arm, I hoisted Buddy and took a 6 mile walk around town with G-4. Coming down Georgia Ave., heading towards home, a car stopped and the window came down. A young man in the passenger seat said "Where you headed? Are you preparing for a hike?" I told him I had been on the Appalachian Trail for a couple of days but came home due to the cold weather and also to have a skin cancer removed but I planned to thru-hike the AT . He became really excited and said his "hippy" Aunt had walked the AT 3 times over the course of many years. He said he wasn't really an organized religion kind of guy but he could connect spiritually when he was out in nature and he understood why I wanted to make this pilgrimage. He added that if I needed a ride back to the trail, he and his wife would take me. We have walked down/up Georgia Avenue for years. This past year many, many times with my pack on because there's a pretty decent hill. But on a day when I'm not sure about what day I'll get back to the trail and I'm wondering if I should go back to the trail, I have this encounter.

When people ask WHY I have undertaken such a challenge, I eventually say because I believe God has invited me to walk the Appalachian Trail and I usually follow that up with - I know that probably sounds crazy. I don't know the reason(s) for the invitation or how far the journey will take me. I have learned in the course of my 64 years, that if I believe God is asking something of me, it is in my best interest to follow His lead.

I continue to be amazed that at almost every turn, the Holy Spirit, cheers me on through people on the trail, email, the 2,185 mile sticker on the car, the young man in the car on Georgia Ave., people who have left notes on my journal and blog, donations given to Homes For Our Troops, and the prayers of family, friends and people I have never met (PrayerWalker's Prayer Warriors).

Oh, just an aside - a few days after receiving Frank's email with the scripture verse, I received an email from Stanton Lanier with the link to one of the songs he recorded for a new album coming out soon.  A Godincidence -- for sure, when I saw Jeremiah 6:16 appear on the video.

THANK YOU !!!