Learning to trust is one of life’s most difficult tasks. ~Isaac Watts

Despite the maps, the verbal directions, and the yellow arrows, there were many times I felt sure we had strayed from our intended route. When enough doubt accumulated in my mind or in Dana’s, we would stop, re-read the directions, unfold our maps, and when available, ask a stranger for help. Dana would ask in rudimentary Portuguese or Spanish, “Are we here?” while pointing to a spot on the map. Many hand gestures would follow along with a consultation with another local and rapid speaking. In the end, we often felt more confused than before we asked. One older gentleman scribbled arrows on our map pointing to a city we had passed over an hour before suggesting we head that direction.

During one of our lost moments near the coast of Portugal I realized that as long as the ocean was on our left and the highway in the distance (to the east) was on our right, we were headed north – the general direction we needed to go. Granted, we may not be following the exact route mapped out for us, but these two boundaries would keep us from straying too far off course. It was an interesting dynamic to be pretty darn sure I was lost, at least in terms of locating myself on a map, but at the same time knowing I was headed the right way. It reminded me to keep the big picture in mind and not get too caught up in the details and remember that just because I feel lost doesn’t mean I am lost.

The tricky part with this big-picture approach was our bodies and feet only had so many miles in them per day and the thought of expending extra miles and energy being off track did not appeal to us. The fear of added miles or arriving in an unfamiliar city at dusk kept us diligent about staying on course. In hindsight, getting lost, or at least feeling lost, was an essential part of the pilgrimage experience because it reminded me to be flexible, curious, and willing to not know where I am. Not an easy task if you like the security of feeling in control. The Camino seemed to quietly whisper, “It’s ok if your life isn’t completely mapped out and you feel lost now and again. Trust you are right on time and where you need to be in this moment.”

Question:  How easily do you trust you are exactly where you need to be in this moment?