Has a painting or a photo of nature ever snagged you to stand still and imagine where that path leads or who might walk that path?
In recent years, we have travelled some interesting paths; some have been very isolated while others have been bustling with travelers. There are times when we pause briefly to chat with those around us and discover they live in the surrounding villages or towns.
In other countries, on a path, some locals stop us and chat, noticing that we walk among the many pilgrims walking the Camino route to Santiago, Spain or through Tuscany on the Via Francigena, a historic route stretching from Canterbury, England all the way to Rome, Italy.
In their beautiful accents, they share a snapshot of ancient stories about their past and then bid us Buen Camino! or Bon Viaggio! with a friendly wave. One story in particular has stayed with us.
We were walking a stunning stretch of the Via Francigena through Tuscany, midday on Day 3 when a private gate opened and a lovely, sparkling clean couple stepped out and greeted us. It was unusually hot that afternoon, and we were predictably dusty at that time of the day! Their accents revealed they were from the UK or Australia, but we knew better than to make which assumption.
Our accents revealed we were Americans, and they paused to open a conversation to share they were from London. (We were happy for that disclosure early on!) They were going our way up the hill and walked along with us.We asked them about their lifestyle in London, and they spoke of their children and their retirement years. They escape London's summer months and vacation in Tuscany. Eventually, we arrived at a small village and found a shady spot to rest and continue to chat. We were carrying our backpacks and probably wearing clothes we had just pulled from wear the day before. Now, we were face to face with a spick-and-span couple with Downton Abby accents, yet they wanted to walk with us and hear about the reason for our pilgrimage.
We shared, "The stages of the VF offer us quiet and serene walking days with hours of together conversation. We make plans while walking, admire the Creator's handiwork and solve problems. We laugh about everything and rest on stone walls to eat our snacks. We pray through the day, and we visit with nice people like you."
She answered, "Don't we all need days filled with laughter and rest? Everyone has hills to climb."
I found that comment most interesting - 'We all have hills to climb' and responded, "Yes, and these Tuscan hills have been quite a challenge for us. The elevation is sometimes endless!"
"We hike in England, and we have a saying, Big Mountain, Small Steps. We always reach the top with that strategy." She smiled.
We took a few sips of our water and wished each other well as we continued on up that endless Tuscan hill.
We will never meet that couple again, but too many times to count, we have quoted "Big Mountain, Small Steps" as we encounter some mountains that seem unsurmountable midway up. Since then, we have applied that strategy to both spiritual and daily challenges. They were from England and we were from America, and, providentially, our experiences overlapped within a third country.
At the end of that long day, after our visit to a lavanderÃa automatica, after bellies full of fresh pasta and warm bread, now spick-and-span clean, I sat at a desk in our room and wrote the English couple's quote in my journal.
Do you have a mountain that seems insurmountable?
"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2)
Keep Looking Up!
J:m and L:nda
