Luke's reflection

For a few weeks now, I have been praying to really know God. Not just to love him, but longing to know him. My prayers were answered. When I could not put one foot in front of another, he picked up my legs. He gave me the energy to continue.  At the beginning of my journal, I noted 2 Corinthians 4 16-18. "Yet outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." I got renewed step by step.

In my journal, when questioning my motives for undertaking this pilgrimage, I anticipated on the journey asking the question "Why? What's the point?" I did not have to ask this question. Because every step of the way, every conversation, every place we visited, every marvellous thing we saw was a manifestation of what God does to us and for us.

From the moment of meeting my prayer buddy Pete Chesterton on 16th March, I felt very connected. We were on the same wavelength the whole way through - God was at the controls after all!

5th April

Physically I really struggled on the first day. The image in my minds eye was emptiness - beautiful emptiness. As if all the rubbish had been cleared out!

6th April

As we walked out, the mist was coming off the trees, a wonderful image of God creating the trees to create the air that we breathe.

7th April

I was shouting at obstacles - cow pats, branches etc - to get out of the way. This didn't work. When I prayed and lifted my eyes up, the results were much more positive.

Notwithstanding the shouting, my sense of inner peace and my place within the group, was incredible. I would not have believed that one could be so tired and tested, but feel so invigorated physically, intellectually, and spiritually.

8th April

Walking from Lenham to Charing, oh boy! Oh boy was my heart uplifted, oh boy did I have eagles wings!

As I pondered the energetic, powerful, but benign sky above the yellows, greens, and browns of the fields below, with copper coloured trees like the decorations of the temple in Jerusalem, I heard a phrase of music on my Ipod "And every breath we drew was Hallelujah."

I felt so moved, how could it be just coincidence that all these things had come together? I felt that I saw the face of God.

9th April

We arrived at 1253 hours at the West Gate. Getting to Canterbury was exquisite.

Now I know what it means to be a pilgrim. And that I will be a pilgrim, until the end of my days.