I woke up at around 7:00 a.m. at the sound of all the other pilgrims shuffling their things and getting ready for the hike. It was Sunday so my priority was to attend mass. Jonathan suggested that instead wasting time and waiting until 9:00 a.m. for the restaurants to open and have breakfast in Zubiri, we should just go to the next town in Larrasoana which was only about 4 km away and have breakfast there. His suggestion seemed reasonable so we headed off only to discover that in the small town of Larraoana everything was closed until 1:00 p.m. because it was Sunday!!
By that time, I was very hungry but because we wanted to go to the small monastery in the next town and we needed to arrive early to secure a bed, we could not afford to wait until 1:00 p.m. to eat. And so we set off on the trail again and walked 15 km to the next town on an empty stomach. We took a series of breaks and with God’s help we reached our destination four hours later.
We went inside the monastery called Iglesia de Trinidad and registered. We quickly placed our thing on our beds and instantly went out in search of a restaurant. By that time it was about 3:00 p.m. and apparently in Spain everything shuts down for an hour at 3:00 p.m. We were surprised to see that the streets were deserted!!
I was exceptionally exhausted and hungry and the mere thought of not being able to eat for another hour caused me a greater discomfort. I earnestly prayed that we would find a restaurant that was still opened. At first it seemed hopeless because all the ones we passed by on the streets were closed but I was not yet ready to give up. I continued to walk aimlessly in spite of my weariness particularly being attentive to the slightest indication that a restaurant or store might be opened. By God’s grace I was able to find one that was still opened and I felt a great sense of relief. I quickly went in and ordered four dishes of moderate portions.
After I had eaten and was satisfied I regained my sense of composure. I have never felt this desperate in my life where the only thing I could think of was satisfying my hunger. Even when I was volunteering at the orphanage in Mexico we always had something to eat, even though some days it would only be a piece of corn. It was never to the point where my body truly craved for it.
This experience was just a taste of what Jesus must have felt when he went to the dessert for forty days. At this primitive state, one’s sense of rational judgment begins to be impaired to the point where satisfying this basic physical need is all one can think of. Hence, reaffirming Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory.
Later that evening after I had attend mass at church, hand washed my clothes and did all that was necessary I reflected and evaluated my actions. I asked myself “In my weariness and hunger, did I respond in a manner that was pleasing to God”? I could not definitively say “yes” because my focus deviated from God and was more on the food. I was a bit discouraged again because even with our best intentions we never know how we will respond until we are actually placed in such dire circumstances.
In my devotional time, God provided me with tremendous encouragement. I came across the verse in 2 Chronicles 15:7 “But as for you, be strong and do not give up for your work will be rewarded”. This verse truly uplifted my heart and gave me the inspiration to relentlessly strive to reach my destination in Compostela in spite of the difficulties and challenges that may present itself along the way. Furthermore, I came across 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him”. I felt great comfort and refreshed hope for the marvelous journey ahead of me.
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