As of Friday, life becomes interesting again.

I fly to Spain to hike the Camino de Santiago with the men of Kingdom Journeys.

This morning as I sit and think about the 500 mile hike ahead, my first thought is, "Around 20 miles a day for 3 weeks is gonna be quite a task. How am I gonna keep this healthy pace?"

I've never attempted a hike of such magnitude, and it's not an easy task – I'm sure of that.

So, how am I to keep going and stay healthy (as a whole) on the Way?

A few variables come to mind – food (of course), rest, equipment/resources, and risk.

I know that we must stay consistent with those things on a daily basis to endure with strength.

Thinking of our bodies, we must:

-fuel ourselves properly at the right times

-rest when necessary

-use our equipment/resources wisely

-risk only when necessary

Thinking of our spiritual beings, we must:

-fuel ourselves properly at the right times

-rest when necessary

-use our equipment/resources wisely

-risk only when necessary

The thought of this hike reminds me of running a marathon – both physically and spiritually.

There's no need to sprint the whole thing.

We must use what we've been given to accomplish the task, and it takes nothing over our heads.

So, what does it take to conquer a feat of this size?

Slow and steady… and smart according to the tortoise's model, right?

We must also listen – to our bodies, to the Spirit.

How good of a listener are you?

I'm learning that most of what we do comes from how well we bend an ear

...and what or whom we bend it to.

Physically speaking, if we start in full sprint, we know we won't make it far.

If we eat empty foods, we won't last long either.

If we fail to listen to our bodies, this could result in an 'incomplete' or even a crippling injury.

With experience and research, we know what it takes to endure and come out on top in these circumstances.

Spiritually speaking, where in your life may you not need to sprint?

Where may you even be fueling yourself improperly?

Where is your life screaming, 'listen'?

What's going to allow you to endure properly and inherit the prize?

I'm reminded that enduring anything well takes great discipline to detail and requires the correct steps to inherit the prize – the promise – the Kingdom.

We must fuel ourselves properly.

Where there's a void, what are we filling it with?

We must utilize rest.

Are we resting (physically & spiritually)? Remember, rest doesn't always mean sitting still.

We must use our equipment/resources wisely.

Are we taking proper advantage of what we've been given (people, time, the Word, etc)?

We must take risks when necessary.

Have you taken any necessary risks lately? Remember, risk is often necessary for growth.

I'm about to step into three weeks of extreme difficulty in unknown territory.

I must know myself.

I must know my response.

I need wisdom, great discipline, and a tuned ear (to my body & the Spirit).

What I do with that will determine the outcome...