To me there is nothing quite like a good walk. I find it healing for both the body and the soul. Sometimes I walk with a purpose…..I have somewhere to go and to be, but often I walk more leisurely…..taking my time to enjoy my surroundings and “reset” my thoughts. Always, if given the choice of driving or walking…..I will choose the walk.
My love for walking may have started when I was a very young girl. We would often go to my Granny’s house to visit and, inevitably, I would become restless and “bored”. My dad would offer to take a walk with me, and we would stroll around the block talking about what we saw on the way.
Jimmy and I often walk together. We have our “routes” for various locations so we always know how far we have gone and if we reached our goal. It is very calming and enjoyable to walk with my husband as we talk about our day, the kids, and the happenings in our lives.
Through the years, some of my favorite walking partners have been my girlfriends. It started with the ladies I would meet at the park after dropping off our kids at elementary school, the walks with friends in our neighborhoods, walks along the beach, and, most recently, the ladies I walked with in Owensboro. Walking with your girlfriends is truly a time for “walking therapy” as we solve the world’s problems. Oh, the discussions we have had! Often extra laps are needed because we just aren’t ready to end the conversation.
I absolutely treasure the walks I have with my boys. The walks started at a very early age as I pushed them along in a double stroller; stopping halfway so they could trade positions as to who rode in the front. Walks have always been precious time with them. Not so long ago, Chance and I walked through his new neighborhood and he showed me the route he takes while pointing out things and places he has discovered. This walk gave me peace that Chance was settling into his new surroundings and was doing okay. It has been two summers since Cole and I took a walk just days before his wedding. When we crested the hill, he stopped and took a folded piece of paper from his pocket, “Mom, would you like to hear the vows I have written to say to Brooke?” Now, as time moves forward, I am taking walks with Cole as he pushes his sweet little one in her stroller. Yes, I treasure my walks with my boys.
I also enjoy the solitude of walking by myself. There is nothing that hits “reset” quite like an early morning stroll along the shoreline. I spend my walk talking with Jesus, giving thanks, praying individually for my loved ones, and asking for guidance for my life.
Truly the best “walking” partner in our lives is Jesus. Regardless of the various “walks” you will experience throughout your life…..whether it is planned or unexpected…..whether it is enjoyable or challenging…..whether it is one you choose to remember or would like to erase…..whether you walk with friends or feel you are on your own…..it is important to know you are never walking alone. The Lord has always gone before you…..clearing the pathway for you. But not only does He go before you…..He walks beside you…..supporting you through every step, every turn, every bump in the road. Though you may feel you are on your own, that no one understands, that you are fighting your battles and “walking” alone….nothing could be further from the truth…..you are never alone for the Lord promises, “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world”. (Matthew 28:20)
So why not experience the peace of walking through your life with Jesus………
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
