Episode 236 - So Long As It’s Wild: A Journey of Faith, Courage and Perseverance

The Spiritual Forum

Born into an impoverished Ozarks hillbilly upbringing, Barbara Jenkins was always a dreamer, which led her to high adventure. As a young woman living in New Orleans in 1976, she dropped work on her master’s degree to walk across America with her newly wedded husband, Peter Jenkins. Their three-year, 3,000-mile walk across America became one of the most popular stories in the National Geographic Magazine in 1979. Her story is one of faith, courage, fortitude, humility and forgiveness – all essential elements of the spiritual journey. After 40 years of silence, Barbara now reveals how she experienced the famous walk across America and its crushing aftermath in her memoir, So Long as It’s Wild. In this episode we learn about the spiritual lessons she learned on her compelling life adventure. Some of the many things we discuss are: · We are all dreamers –cultivate your own dreams! · Callings don’t necessarily come as a command, but as a question · You declare your own destiny by the next step that you take – it’s not preordained · There are many ways we are protected by the Divine · Endurance and long-suffering can serve us well – they prepare us for future challenges · Walking in faith is not knowing what the next step is - taking life one day at a time and trusting God to lead you · Every person has a destiny – it’s important to find your own · We can use our internal struggles to catapult us to greater things · Fear of the unknown keeps us stuck · The importance of telling your own story · Spirit guides show up in many ways, including people and animals · There is so much beauty and life around us that we fail to notice “Although Peter chose a different path than the one we started together, all human beings are flawed, and I’m chief among them,” says Jenkins. “I was pathetically naive, codependent, self-righteous, and stubborn as an Ozark mule. For reasons I may never understand this side of eternity, walking across America; enduring heartache, love, and loss; and laying down my marriage was my destiny. And I wouldn’t change a thing. It was tangled and messy at times, but I’ve learned to do two things: keep repenting and keep forgiving. God’s grace will do the rest. Let not your heart be troubled. Go on your way because like me, whatever your destiny is, you are the apple of God’s eye. Hear the words of my dirt-poor and sweet ole’ Granny from the Ozarks: ‘Everything will be all right.’” — Barbara Jenkins website: https://www.barbarajojenkins.com/ book: https://www.amazon.com/So-Long-Its-Wild-Standing/dp/1947297716 © the spiritual forum 2023