Day 14 Padrón 19km

I had a very good night's sleep in the albergue and woke up just ten minutes before my alarm. It was not the best albergue I've ever stayed in but nowhere near the worst.

We had made the difficult decision to go to Padrón by bus, as there was no way that my friend would be able to walk that distance. So we got dressed and left. The hotel across the street was open, so that was our first port of call for a morning coffee.

The bus stop was only a few minutes away, even walking slowly. My friend was upset at having to take the bus, feeling that in some way it was a failure. I pointed out that it was beyond her control and that many people on the camino had similar experiences.

Just then....

A young woman arrived at the stop asking if it was the stop for the bus to Padrón. She got quite emotional, and through her tears, she told us that she had to get the bus on medical advice. Despite putting on sunblock every day, she had second-degree burns on her arm, chest, and neck. She was in a lot of pain and had been advised at the local hospital to go straight to the hospital in Santiago. The worst of it was she felt like she had failed in her camino.

I think in this moment my friend understood the truth of what I had said to her. She and the young woman embraced in total solidarity.

Just then...

An older lady we'd seen before on the camino arrived for the bus. Her camino was over because she had the same problem with her foot as my friend.

Another camino miracle?

Perhaps.

The thing about miracles us that we fail to see them because we're busy looking for something spectacular. I have found that God works miracles in small and ordinary ways, in quiet ways through ordinary everyday situations and people. In Zechariah 4:10, God tells us not to despise the small things, for great things often begin in small ways.

So, if you've never seen a miracle, perhaps you've just been looking for the wrong thing.Read more