Jim

I found out about Medjugorje from my brother, Scott, from the very beginning in the ‘80s. He wanted to go to this place, and he invited me. He tried to talk me into coming here, and I said, “Nope. I’m doing my own thing.”

I loved his passion to come over here. He came over here several times, and each time he invited me. 

This last time, he asked me again, “Would you like to do the pilgrimage to Medjugorje?”

I was going through a divorce and kind of lost in life a little bit. I said, “Why not?” 

I wanted to support him and share his passion for this and what he’s experienced.

My hearing is going away, I didn’t want to stay in my house with the divorce. It was a lonely house. I talked to God about this as well. I said, “My ears are going away, but I have this spirit now that wants to get out and be with people because I don’t want to be in the house alone.”

I said yes to that. I said, “This will be a cool adventure to go on this pilgrimage and meet people, even though I’m going to have trouble hearing. I don’t care. There will be those who step forward and put up with me.” Everyone usually does. Scott would be there as support as well. 

As far as the spiritual journey, he has a passion for Mary. For me, I just have a passion for God. Especially these last few years, He’s really drawn me. 

When Scott came over here before, I’d watch him on the internet, and there’s really a cool spiritual energy when I’d watch on the internet knowing he was over here and all these people were here and it was all about God and Jesus and they were all on these journeys to figure things out. That excited me. That was a part of the drive that brought me over here as well. 

I just wanted to enjoy the spiritual energy and just see what happens here. I knew the people I would meet would be awesome. 

Every moment has been my favorite, even when I wake up at night because of jet lag or the sleepless nights. When I got up one night, I looked at Medjugorje out the window at 3 o’clock in the morning. I said prayers and talked to the Lord. We had things planned the next day, but the Lord was telling me, “Right now is a joy to you, sitting here praying at the window, looking out at the town.” 

Just to take in each moment that was playing out, that was the treasure. Each moment has been everything that this trip is supposed to be. One thing couldn’t stand out. Everything connects.

I was walking with another pilgrim yesterday, Lydia. She said, “Let’s do Cross Mountain in our bare feet.” 

Just as a challenge, I said, “Yeah. Let’s do this. That would be fun.” That’s more on the adventurous side. There was no spiritual attachment there, but when we got here, you guys started talking about intentions, and I thought, “You know what? It should be about intentions as we go up this.” There’s a group of people who I know in my group at home that are all going through different things and they’re suffering. At each Station of the Cross, I bowed my head, and I raised them all up in prayer. 

The journey up with the feet hurting, there were tougher spots than normal. That just represented the people I had. Some don’t have God so they’re walking life alone so it has to be really hurting. Others do have the support of people around. Some know God and rely upon God and they have that support. Each one of these souls were going through my mind.

I was barefoot. I wanted to feel the rocks, feel the pain. Certain sections of the trail hurt worse. In fact, the little rocks were the worst. That was my journey today up Cross Mountain. 

Up there, I did pray. I brought Mary into prayer saying thank you for the visionaries and the work that’s being done, and again, I love that it’s all pointed towards the Lord. I don’t understand it. I asked the Lord, “If there are things to discern here, please let me learn. That’s why I’m here. My mind is wide open to anything.”

The adventure on the path to God is a mystery, and that’s what drives us. The mystery and not knowing and you want to find out these things. I’m a part of the Body not the same as you, and I’ll be digging in different trenches to figure out where I am in this world.