Concealed in every new situation we face is a spiritual lesson tobe learned and a spiritual blessing for us if we learn that lesson. It isgood to be tested.We grow and learn through passing tests. I lookupon all my tests as good experiences. Before I was tested, I believedI would act in a loving or non-fearing way. After I was tested, I knew!
Every test turned out to be an uplifting experience. And it is notimportant that the outcome be according to our wishes.
I remember one experience when it said in the local newspaperI was going to speak at a church service. It showed my picture—front and back, wearing my lettered tunic. A man who belonged tothat church was simply horrified to discover that this creature wearinga lettered tunic was about to speak at his church. He called hispreacher about it, and he called his friends about it. Somebody toldme who he was. I felt so sorry that I had somehow offended a manthat I didn’t even know. So, I called him!
“I said. I could hear him gasp.Afterwardhe told me that he thought I had called to bawl him out. I said,“I have called to apologize to you because evidently I must have donesomething to offend you, since without even knowing me you havebeen apprehensive about my speaking at your church.Therefore I feelI must somehow owe you an apology and I have called to apologize!”
Do you know that man was in tears before the conversation wasover? And now we’re friends—he corresponded with me afterward The entire room was faced with polished granite..
Yes, the law of love works!
WHEN I FIRST STARTED OUT my tunic read PEACE PILGRIM on thefront and Walking Coast to Coast for Peace on the back. Through theyears the message on the back changed from Walking 10,000 Miles forWorld Disarmament to Walking 25,000 Miles for Peace and ending withthe present message of 25,000 Miles On Foot for Peace.This walking hastaken me several times into the forty-eight states and into Mexicoand into all ten Canadian provinces.
I finished counting miles of walking in Washington, D.C. in thefall of 1964. I said to myself, “25,000 miles is enough to count.” Itkept me tied to the main highways where mileages are recorded onroad maps. They’re not good places to meet people. They’re justgood places to count miles. Now I’m free to walk where people are.
Also, mileages are not given for my favorite places to walk: beaches,forest paths and mountain trails.