Angels Walking in Faith Needs Preparation.

[Howard Murphy]

Dear Paul,
Walking in Faith is possible only after the important details are looked
after otherwise the pilgrim's time is taken up with dealing with the
irritating factors of poor health, blistered feet and all the other problems
that often make life more miserable for others too, for no matter what
journey we make in life we never travel alone.
Recently a young man had the opportunity of a holiday snowboarding but
declined the insurance policy costing £18 Sterling, he had an accident on the
first day and because he was ill prepared it cost his family thousands of
pounds for the medical treatment and to get him home.

It is true that this scourging of the body is part of the religious ecstasy
of many of the religious faiths although I see that as having no place on
this Spiritual Journey of the Pilgrims Walk to Santiago de Compostela. The
basis of the Christian faith is that Christ died for our sins and as you
write; 'since my interest in the road is more from a spiritual perspective'
are you not denying the tenets of this spiritual perspective in not making
yourself fit to give thanks and glory for the Divine Love of Christ during
the pilgrimage.

My dream is to make the pilgrimage and in my dreams I walk with the strength
and fitness of a much younger man, that is my spiritual perspective in my
dreams whereas in reality I am an overweight male, 63 years of age on the
28th June, ill since 1986 disabled due to chronic illness but for many, many
years have had the dream of following the Pilgrims Way; my disabilities are
such that walking can be difficult, angina, hypertension, cardiovascular
plus, I take 38 pills per day and injections for diabetes.
Despite all that I do know that dreams come true it is just a matter of
finding a way to accommodate these difficulties.
I also have a full-time carer, who is willing to make the pilgrimage with me
and the joy of it is that she is a devout Roman Catholic and would obtain
much on the Spiritual aspect.

Perhaps you will keep an eye out for a donkey and jig on your travels, I have
no wish to make the pilgrimage by car or coach but at least I could sit on
the cart and commune with nature and the spirituality of the pilgrimage.

As a form of preparation I intend to build a website of my 'Dream Pilgrimage
to Santiago de Compostela' and mention this in the hope that anyone with
photographs, maps and information will forward them to me. I would also ask
that you hold my dream in your thoughts as you make your pilgrimage.
With every blessing.
Howard

Hmcellardykeaaol.com
.........................................
In a message dated 25/05/01 18:08:35 GMT Daylight Time, paulaPAULTOBEY.COM
writes:
 I'd just like to comment if I may.  All the talk recently about footwear has
 been interesting and I most certainly read with consideration the comments
 and suggestions made about this subject.  However, since my interest in the
 road is more from a spiritual perspective, I begin to wonder how much
 preparation is necessary from a comfort stand point.  Many of us have
 physical problems before we even begin, say bad knees, hips, backs etc...
 Who's to say that any amount of preparation will guard against injury,
 fatique....even blisters.

 Perhaps in the divine plan a blister is our angel's way of saying you need
 to slow down....live in the moment...regard your surroundings as a gift...
 I'd go even as far as saying that an injury can protect you from being
 someplace you weren't supposed to be...say at the bottom of a cliff
 after...after a fall...due to rain...2 days after the injury you never got.
 Anyway, we have to perceive gifts from our angels, good or bad, as divine
 intervention.  That's not to say I will not prepare myself and get the best
 equipment I can, but just a reminder that the universe responds to our
 utilmate intentions...if we need to be somewhere faster than we need to be
 there...our angels will let us know.

 Paul Tobey >>