Walk With Me

I go for a walk about three times a day. 

Once I hit my mid-thirties, this thing started happening where I would absolutely crash on the couch in exhaustion after dinner every night. I thought maybe I was dying; it turns out I was just aging, which I guess is kind of the same thing. 

Apparently as we age our blood sugar can get wonky after meals, so the best thing to do is go for a walk within twenty minutes of eating. Not to be dramatic, but this has changed my life. Not only did it end the urge to nap at 6 pm, but I feel better in general. And I walk after breakfast and lunch now, too. 

I get sun on my face, I walk past my neighbor’s adorable pony, I see the trees budding or changing colors or letting their leaves go. I notice things that would normally go unseen. A tiny flower, wispy clouds over the mountain, the delicate purple of the sunset. During my walks my brain feels calm, at peace, like my thoughts have a minute to exhale. It’s 12 minutes, three times a day and it makes all the difference. 

There’s something to the pace and the nature of a walk that is good for our souls. It’s steady movement, but it isn’t hurried. Intentional without being panicked or rushed. And have you ever noticed you have the best talks on walks? I’ve started asking friends if they would like to meet for a walk rather than meet for coffee. That shoulder to shoulder position does something magical where hearts become vulnerable; it opens up honesty; there are no awkward silences.  

Is that how you would describe your walk with God?

That’s often how it’s phrased, right? Or is yours more of a jog? Maybe a run? Jumping over hurdles? A panicked sprint? It could also resemble less of a walk and more of a …sit. An exhausted girl who can barely pull herself out of bed, let alone strap on shoes and hit the pavement. 

I’ve been in all those places at different times of my life. I don’t understand why the most simple requests from God can feel the most difficult to stick to. “Walk with me,” God says throughout Scripture, most poignantly in Matthew 11:28 when Jesus offers to take our burdens and be yoked to Him, to walk alongside Him. 

As I write this, I am five days away from the start of a three-month sabbatical. This will be our first after 15 years of vocational ministry. One of the hardest parts for me as we have prepared for this time has been planning what to do. It’s not a vacation, but there should be elements of rest for sure. It’s not a class, but I want to learn. It’s not ministry, but it should prepare me to come back into my role as a church leader with fresh vigor and vision. 

I sense God asking me to simply walk. To wake up ready to be shoulder to shoulder with Him. To anticipate going somewhere with Him, unhurried, but with purpose. To notice the small things I’ve neglected. To breathe deeply the air around me. To hear and see and feel His presence as we walk together down a road that’s unknown. 

I don’t want to rush this incredibly sacred time, but I also don’t want to passively let the days go by without savoring them and soaking in every moment. 

I made a little chart with 100 tiny boxes. Every time I go for a walk, I will mark off a box. Not to accomplish, but to take note. I have a stack of books, half fiction, half spiritual development. I want to read that stack as a treat, not a task. I’m shutting off social media for the first time since I was a freshman in college. Not because I think it’s evil, but because I want to give my mind room to be bored, to breathe, to unplug from the overwhelming cares of the world. I bought a paint by number watercolor book. I have my flower embroidery ready that I started at Christmas and never finished. 

My prayer is that this summer of walking, this sabbatical of grace, would set new rhythms for my heart. Rhythms that will carry over into my full-time life come September. 

Take time to walk, physically walk, and ask God what He might have to show you. 

Grace + Peace. 

Taking it Further: 

How are you walking today? 

Can you slow your pace and feel the brush of the shoulder of Jesus next to you?