The Almighty provides. He is faithful.

The monastery, nestled in a mountain forest, is located at the small village of Armenteira. Camino pilgrims make their way there via a winding, often arduous, trek along the “Variante Espiritual.” The trail near the end of the day’s journey proved particularly difficult, primarily because Kathy and I walked it with damaged feet and discouraged spirits. The first seven miles of the day’s walk, as usual, passed in awe of our surroundings. As we approached the last three miles of the 16-mile day, however, we wondered if this would be the day that we could not reach our destination.

Our oldest grand, Stuart, tackled his own excursion this summer attending Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. He had trained for months carrying a backpack that looked equivalent to his body size. The program is designed to push scouts beyond their comfort zones. Their multi-day “high-adventure treks through mountain terrain” are challenging. Stuart is happy retelling of the journey and his mountain top experiences, and yet he is honest about the very real challenges he faced—tired body from long days and walking steep inclines, weather extremes, and the daily repetition of the trail.

Mountain top experiences, you will agree, are phenomenal and monumental. We retell those exciting tales, reliving the glory of those moments. But to reach the mountain top, we have to climb the mountain. In most instances, I would recount these images as metaphors or analogies to the struggles of daily life in the real-world experiences of Jesus followers, and they hold true in our Camino story. The arrival at the monastery necessitated the climb up the mountain—if we wanted the mountain top experience, we would have to tackle the path.

That morning, Stuart texted: “Just a piece of trail advice: (I don’t know if y’all have already been doing this but) at Philmont, I would save a part of breakfast to eat on the trail and that was a great boost. Maybe get some snackage for the trail!” When we came to yet another long uphill path, we paused. We found a flat slab of rock and ate a makeshift picnic of saved bread and bananas. Energized, we continued upward following the Camino signs to what we hoped would bring us to Armenteira.

The good feelings were short-lived and we began to feel like the Israelites walking through the desert, feeling God’s provision in the morning and lapsing into complaints in the afternoon. The last mile involved climbing a narrow dry creek bed filled with boulders and stones, first up and then down. Busted toes throbbed. Blistered feet seared. Backpacks pressed down. I reached back to give Kathy a hand and saw her exhaustion. The mountain top was only a mile away, but could our bodies endure?

Sheer determination can accomplish incredible things but at times like those on the Camino, we were reminded that it is God’s providence that brings the victory. Although weary from their 40 years of wandering, the Israelites did reach the Promised Land. Paul, chained to the prison walls, did not allow his circumstances to deter him from sharing the gospel and caring for the churches he had planted. The Almighty provides. He is faithful.

Moving past the boulder path, I pulled out my phone and again read aloud Psalm 103 as we walked: “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits...”

At the monastery, we found that our room involved climbing —two flights of narrow stairs. Then through the window, we looked at where we had traveled. Determination? Yes, but more so, God’s provision! The view from the mountaintop sprawled as far as we could see. I repeated the words of David once more, and we rejoiced!

We had two days of respite, worshiping with the inhabitants in the twelfth century church, taking simple meals with fellow travelers, and watching the rain as the heavens opened and washed away the weariness. Peace reigned. The day came to leave on our sore feet and continue the last two days of our journey.

Marianne, a traveler on her tenth Camino walk, watched us prepare to leave. We felt her compassion for our plight—our spiritual determination and also our physical pain. Speaking from experience, she said, “Remember this: Everyone you see along the way—first timers and seasoned pilgrims, everyone—we all have hurt feet. You are not weak, and you are not traveling the wrong way. It is part of the Camino.”

Back home now, Kathy and I repeat Marianne’s words to each other. We remind ourselves “...how we are formed” and remember “that we are dust.” We face obstacles and difficult paths and notice others who are struggling with life’s challenges: “We all have hurt feet.” And then, we praise our God who does not leave us alone ever. And we keep walking. You too, please. Keep walking. And praising. The Almighty provides. He is faithful.

Written by  Jim  Edminson, Editor of Charity & Children