St. Cuthbert’s Way, Day 2, St. Boswells to Jedburgh
Next morning my legs were still weak, so after reserving a room at The Spread Eagle Hotel in Jedburgh we opted to call a taxi for the next stretch. Jedburgh is three miles off the pilgrimage route but is a highly recommended stop because of its incredibly well preserved abby, whose construction began in the 1100s. Arriving fairly early, we discovered that in Scotland hotels are often locked up between checkout time and check in time which is normally 4:00 pm. There was much to see and we didn’t want to be carrying our packs around all day. Thankfully we were able to contact the owner who came and let us drop our bags in the hotel. While waiting out front, to my delight, we noticed that there was an Indian restaurant across the street from the hotel.
Jedburgh is a lovely town with numerous interesting sites including Jedburgh Castle Jail and Museum and the tower house where it is believed that Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed for a short time. Jedburgh Abby was top of our list and we headed straight there. It did not disappoint! The inside of the cathedral was being repaired and therefore blocked off, but the grounds were beautiful and abundant signage provided much information about the usage of all the various areas as well as the history of the abby and early Christianity in the area. The gardens were lovely and we especially enjoyed sitting for a while in the prayer garden. Inside the office and gift shop was a small museum also providing much information as well as some ancient relics.
Mid-afternoon coffee and a snack were in order, however the tea and coffee shops were packed as “afternoon tea” is still a big thing in Great Britain. A table was vacant in a tiny bakery where the coffee and huge, freshly baked scones and jam were just what I was craving. It is there that we discovered the love of Scots for their dogs and the wonderful custom of taking them everywhere, even into restaurants. At most every stop on our trek we were blessed with the joy of puppy love while we dined.
In the evening, since my sister is a food adventurer and I am always hungry for Indian, we feasted on garlic-butter naan, bhindi, chicken tikka masala, tarka dal, and aloo. It was bliss. We also realized that had we trekked we would have missed the delight of exploring the town of Jedburgh. In Julie’s words, “It was a perfect day of rest and prayer.”
Symbolism
The pilgrimage, for me, was an allegory of my life. I will tell the story of each day’s trek and following each daily description I will share the particular symbolisms and their meanings as God has shown me for the events and places of that day.
- Jedburgh represents most of my time in Nikiski, Alaska (1991-2001). I loved my time there and the many friendships I formed. It was during these years that I learned to love God’s Word as more than a book just for study, and as my marriage worsened I learned to go to the Scriptures for comfort and for direction. The Holy Spirit was always faithful to meet me in the words on the pages of my Bible.
- During those years God taught me much about prayer in all of its forms. He especially schooled me in the area of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12), and also in being sensitive to the leading of His Spirit as He gave discernment and pointed out specific direction and leading in prayer, often giving cues in the seen for intercessory needs in the unseen.
- Although God had called me into ministry when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1972, Nikiski was the first time I truly stepped into that calling. My close friend and I started an outreach to the children of our little town which impacted the entire community—25% of the elementary school aged kids, the majority from unchurched homes, attended Tool Time weekly. For the first time in my adult life I felt purpose in my own personal calling and a deep sense of fulfillment in service to God and to others.
- The sumptuous Indian dinner represents the three missions trips to Nepal in which I participated (2000-2001). It was there that my missionary calling burst into actualization. In amazement I followed God as He spoke clear direction to me and led me into levels of warfare against the prevailing spiritual darkness that were astounding to me. (I have blogged about the first two trips; the third trip will be coming soon. Winds of the Himalaya – Part 1 )
Coffee, Tea, and Reverie 