AND then the iPad literally ate the post. I created it, had it waiting to post as a draft...and where did it go?????
If, miraculously, the post appears, you will know what indeed went on....I know, i know, sabbatical problems, people are hungry and there are real injustices going on, i just wanted to let you know there was a different post (in case it, again, shows up somehow). End Rant.
Today we began the hike called “The Way of St Cuthbert”- this hike is for the organized! The crest and shield markers are very easy to spot, easy to follow, and take you to and fro, hither and yon on very visible trails (yes, Rob is still in charge of the map, but we rarely need it anyway).
St Cuthbert grew up in Melrose, where our hike began today. Melrose Abbey was the place where the monks lived, prayed, and led a school. Cuthbert joined the school and later became a monk also. Eventually he became a priest and much further along he became the bishop of Lindisfarne (our final destination). He was known for his care and compassion for people. This path of 63 miles traces the River Tweed and the towns that Cuthbert would have visited and overseen while in ministry in this area. We hiked to Dryburgh Abbey today, roughly 7 miles, and settled in for the night.
The differences in hiking today verses last week are striking to me.
In Iona, I hiked on my own, it was foggy and i kept stepping in mud holes, if you got lost you hit water, temperatures were quite cool, and I only found one trail marker on the whole island and it didn’t say what it was marking or why it was there.
On this path of St Cuthbert’s we have this lovely shield we see plastered all along the way. Rob is hiking with me and near me, we have a river not an ocean to keep us on track, and the sun was shining today.
Each of these forms of hiking are marvelous and have their place. Sometimes we need the clear directed path, sometimes we need the wandering times. Sometimes we need tangible companionship, sometimes we need merely the alone time with God.
Psalm 121 says “I lift my eyes up, up to the hills, where does my help come from?”
Today Rob and I hiked up 1400ft in the first 1.2miles. It was a breathtaking experience (in all meanings of the word!) and 5 miles later when we glanced back at the hills it was hard to believe we had hiked through them, they were so high and far away.
Some days we need to have others with us sharing their story of how to get up over the hills
Some days we need to tell our stories of how we made it over the hills.
Each day we take one step at a time where ever we might be on the path, marked or unmarked.
And some days we rest on the bench, on the way up or on the way down, gathering up our strength for the next part of the journey.... astonished by the beautiful creation around us.
