28. Oct 2023

Last Thoughts

Video: Half Marathon in Rome on Sunday, October 20: “Running your race…”

IT WAS NOT ALWAY EASY; BUT IT WAS ALWAYS GOOD!

I knew this would not be an easy walk. There were no marked pilgrim trails, no pilgrim hostels and no other pilgrims walking the paths. The daytime temperatures from Zagreb to Tirana were between 85 and 95 degrees. I stepped over a poisonous snake, faced menacing dogs, walked through dark tunnels and areas with landmines, bears and wolfs, crossed dilapidated bridges and dodged oncoming trails. I was on my own, but never alone. God will never lead us, where his grace will not keep us.

Would I do it again? No, I would not walk this path again for sport, adventure, or pleasure. These were not my reasons to do so in the first place. I felt God asking me to walk through the Balkans, to come to know the pain of the past and the present struggles of the people living there. It was a call to walk and pray, to sing the pilgrim song of blessing from the mountain tops, in the villages and cities, to believe that God’s grace can bring reconciliation, healing and renewal. There were God moments, talks and prayers with people in need of the God connection. Many others were encouraged to take the next step in their walk with Jesus. So would I do it again? Yes, if Jesus was asking me to walk with him this way.

I have been asked already a number of times if there will be a Snail-Trail 3. Actually I would hope that there will be hundreds of Snail-Trails… from people who might have been inspired from my stories and experiences to venture beyond their comfort zone, to discover the world beyond their known borders and to experience the reality of a God who is more than just religion and ritual. I recently shared this thought in a WhatsApp to “Rocket Man” whom I met in Slovenia and then added: “I think we both tasted that this summer. What a wonderful assortment of flavors!” He responded with a thumbs up emoji.

Probably the most important lesson for me personally on this pilgrim path was learning to face my giants. As I mapped out the daily hikes in the winter months earlier this year in preparation for the foot trip this summer, I was constantly being reminded of the dangers that I could face along the way by well meaning friends and acquaintances. I started having panic attacks, something that I never experienced before. The question was: Can I trust God with this endeavor? It just so happened that I was at this time reading about the exodus of the Hebrews out of the slavery in Egypt and how God brought them to the promise land after a forty year walk through the wilderness. I came to the conclusion that if God can care of and lead two million people through a wilderness, he can take care of me and lead me through the Balkans. It is when we face our giants that we see how big our God is. Caleb, Joshua and David learned this lesson in the days of the Old Testament. I take it now with me in day to day life back in Germany.

As I wrote in the blog posting from October 16th, on a trip like this you learn to see the glory of God in simple things. That helps you to recognize how God is at work in the complicated things and in the hard places in life. This was my prayer when I left Moosburg on July 8th that I would see the glory of God as I made my way from Germany to Greece. God did show me the beauty of his creation, from the mountains to the valleys, from the babbling water streams in the mountains to the ocean waters, in the fields and forests, sunsets and sunrises, in the songs of the birds, the whisper of the wind, the scent of flowers, rain and the sea. I could see the glory of God in the eyes and smiles of people I met along the way and radiating from the hearts of his people. In such moments cultures and languages were never a barrier.

Final Statistics:

* 2450 total kilometers walked
* 48034 total altitude meters
* 79 hikes
* Average hike: 31 kilometers and 608 altitude meters
* Longest distance: 43,95 km / Tirana to Elbasan, Albania
* Most altitude meters walked: 1523 HM / Sarajevo to Dobro Polja, Bosnia-Herzegovina
* Shortest hike: 8,84 km / Progër to Kapshticë, Albania
* Amount of weight I lost: 4 kilos / 9 pounds
* Most number of wild dogs that surrounded me at once: 8
* Number of wild bears that I saw: Zero.
* Number of snakes that I saw: Too many to count, but most of them were dead and dried up on the road.
* Number of angels watching over and helping me: God knows…

A Heart of Thanks!

I am so grateful to God for his amazing grace which is new every morning and sufficient for the challenges that one would face that day. I lived in this grace each step of the way.

It was always an encouragement to me to know that my wife and family, many friends, colleagues and churches and even people I met along the way, were standing behind me, rooting for me and praying for me. I really appreciated this! Thank you for your interest in Snail-Trail 2, for following along by way of the blog, for being a part of the journey! Many thanks!