A twenty year old gift

When I was a practicing Catholic, I used to attend mass/services at St. Patricks Catholic Church in Lexington, Virginia. I had gotten to know the Campus Minister David Kaufmann very well. He became a good friend and a spiritual advisor during my time at St. Patricks. Over the years, I left the Church in search of my own sources of spiritual growth. However, we still stayed in relative contact when seeing or running into each other occasionally in town. Just like old friends things picked off where they were with warm hugs, and friendly chatter.

Sometime last few weeks David, I and his wife Angela have ran into each other at Lexington Coffee Shop. David with his son, and we caught up again and I told them that I was leaving Lexington and planning to do the Camino in Spain followed up a trip across the US. Apparently they watched the movie The Way as well and were contemplating walking a pilgrimage possibility at some point in the future when the moment was right so our conversation about the Camino/Spain deepened.

I am always intrigued how the universe or God or 'insert your favorite spiritual name for a higher power or higher being' weaves old threads back together. Before I left Lexington I wanted to see them one last time. There is something deeply spiritual that I reconnect with when I'm around them. 

They look me out to lunch at the local Kind Roots Cafe. Food there is always great, although being located at the YMCA - as opposed to perhaps downtown Lexington - is a little odd.

Before I left, David gave me a card and a pouch. The card explained what the pouch contained.

Over the past twenty years, David has used these prayer beads as a part of his spiritual path and he offered them up to me on my journey to use it as I please. What an amazing gift! 

I'm looking forward to wearing it on my wrist during the Camino to remind myself to be present to the current moment, embracing the "nowness", and being unattached to the past or future, and allowing life to unfold naturally instead of focusing on following a master plan. Sometimes the right people connect with you at the right moment to give you the right message. Are you listening?