I made it to Bethlehem!

I made it to Bethlehem!  I wasn't sure that I would make it there, but I did.  I'm proud of myself for not giving up and getting discouraged, but pressing forward each day and getting there with the Wisemen (January 6th), for a total of 101.3 miles 

Here's a little background as written by my pastor: 

The metaphor of the Christian life as a journey is well attested throughout Christian history.  In fact, one of the earliest names given to Christianity was “the Way,” the road, the path.  Friends, we are on a journey together.  Are you familiar with the story at the end of Luke’s gospel we call “The Walk to Emmaus?”  It is a story about two of Jesus’ disciples walking together on that first Easter Sunday.  The important detail to remember is that these two are disciples.  They are individuals who knew Jesus well.  They are not outsiders.  They are insiders.  Despite their inclusion within the ranks of the disciples they do not recognize the identity of the stranger who joins them in their walk.  They do not recognize Jesus.  It is only as they walk the long road together that the stranger’s identity is slowly revealed to them.  The story functions as a parable about our lives as followers of Jesus.  Discipleship is a walk that takes us from a rudimentary understanding of a God out there somewhere to the realization that God’s presence permeates our life.

Until recently I had never made the connection between the word “travel” and the word “travail,” but it makes sense to me.  Often times to get somewhere new requires some work–strenuous work.  You have to work to move.  The work, the travail, the travel, and the destination are all part of a seamless whole.  It is a process, not a point in time.  In an article on religious pilgrimages it was noted that the original notion of pilgrimage, regardless of religious tradition, was that getting there was more important than the destination.  The Emmaus story is programmatic.  It is our story.  

Our church challenged us to make the walk from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the same walk that Mary and Joseph made over 2,000 years ago.  The distance is approximately 99 miles.  Now I know that many of you are runners or even walkers, of which I am neither.  You could easily knock out 99 miles in a period of days or perhaps weeks.  Me, well, I'm just glad I made it there by 1/6.  

It's not that I don't want to walk.  I do enjoy a nice walk, in the sunshine, on a warm day.  But walking in December, on many days where it has been rainy and/or cold has not been my idea of a good time.  Keeping in my the fact that when I walk, I am not alone.  I am walking at a toddler's pace, or pushing a stroller, or carrying a child, or both, and it's no wonder it took me so long to arrive.  Most days I did between 2.5-3.5 miles and this was in the confines of my house.  Yes, that's how much walking around I do everyday inside.  I imagine if I had been outside playing and running with my children more, that the total would have been higher.  I did try to actually "walk" on two occasions.  

One day it was raining and I took the littlest two to the mall and pushed them around for 30 minutes before the crying to get out was more than I wanted to endure.  The other day was New Year's Eve, where the family went to a park and walked maybe 1.5 miles.  Once again, the "walk" ended due to the little guy being tired of just sitting still.  

All-in-all, I did enjoy the journey once I realized I should not be discouraged that I would't arrive by Christmas.  It was more about being purposeful in my efforts and trying my best.  Hopefully I will get there earlier next time :)