JUST WALKING

I am posting this on Sunday this week as I have finished the devotion and I have time! Sometimes on Tuesday, which is my Bible Study group, I forget until late in the evening that I have not posted my devotion. The pictures I am sharing were taken by Mitch Camp,my son who serves at Pine Haven Christian Children's Ranch near St. Ignatius, MT. The top is Montana in the morning (much like the view I write about) and this is the view they have from their front window. The other view was taken in Glacier National Park. If you enjoy these pictures, let me know. I will try to share pictures relevant to the devotion. Mitch and I are working on a book with this idea in mind. Let us know what you think. May you enjoy your walk this week. Clella

THE WALL

I hit the wall today. I have heard the term used many times when reading about marathon runners and always thought the expression was a phrase to describe the physical sensation of being unable to move ahead. Now I realize it is more than a physical sensation, it becomes an inability to think as well as move and getting through it seems an impossible task.

I felt I could not walk another step, but I did–and another, and another, one foot in front of the other until I seemed to go right through the wall. I discovered that once this has been accomplished exhilaration becomes the prevailing emotion. Perhaps I am exaggerating a bit to make a point, but I have been pushing myself each day to walk farther than the day before, and today I thought I had pushed too far.

I remember walking in the mountains of Montana early one morning and the same feeling came upon me. Walking on the mountain takes your breath away-figuratively and literally. The mountains were beautiful in the early morning. That morning I walked down the hill for quite awhile, not thinking that if I wanted to get home, it would be necessary to walk back up the hill.

Going uphill is difficult. In fact, so difficult that I quit at one point, and decided I would wait for someone to come along and pick me up. It was here that the imaginary wall showed up. I felt I must go on. Physically I was depleted, but I needed to walk on up to the top. I pushed through the wall. I rested often, but as I rested I still had this wonderful view of the Mission mountains and the valley below. Even in my resting time I was aware of God’s presence in those mountains.

What an analogy of the Christian walk. When a person first starts walking with Christ, the walk is not too difficult; we are on the top of the hill. We start down the hill just a step or two. We aren’t going far, but we want to test ourselves just a bit. How easy it is to wander on our way admiring the beauty surrounding us, oblivious to how far down the path we have traveled. We have gone too far away from Christ. We are walking an unknown path. Realization hits and we recognize that we need to get back to where we started.

We decide to start back. Traveling back isn't easy. We often need to take a breather. Prayer becomes necessary if we are to continue. Our time with God’s Word increases as we realize the need for spiritual food. Friendship and encouragement from our friends is the crutch we lean on. Just like the beauty of the mountains was still surrounding me so the spirit of Christ still is with us.

We recover our spiritual breath, take a new look at the situation and go on toward the top. We continue struggling with the determination to go back to where we began this downhill journey.

Physical walking and spiritual walking have so much in common. The Spirit keeps pushing us to walk a little farther, to become a little stronger in the knowledge of the Lord. We walk through that wall. Certainly it is a struggle. Sometimes the struggle is a daily thing; sometimes it goes on for years.

The top of the hill is worth it.

JUST WALKING

In searching through my writings I discovered this and felt it might be worth sharing on my blog this week. My walking this week is somewhat curtailed. I have “overdone” my physical capabilities and find that my body is responding to my recent surgery. As usual I have pushed too hard too fast. I confess this is not an unusual action on my part. So instead of writing about walking I will just share some thoughts I have had. Do keep walking with our Lord...I am. AN INVISIBLE FLAVOR My husband always makes a survey of the dinner table before we bow for prayer. And I know what he is looking for...salt. If by some slip, I have forgotten to put it within his reach or even more unthinkable have not even put it on the table, he rises before we pray to retrieve the salt.(Please note that is a somewhat tongue in cheek statement, but also true.) It is that invisible flavor of life that so many of us crave and miss so much if it isn't there. Sometimes we don't even know what's missing, but the food just doesn't "taste right". We all know someone whose presence brings a glow to the environment...the club meeting goes better, the luncheon group is happier, the church board meeting is pleasant. That is the dissolved salt of Christ's love in the environment they live in. My prayer today is that Christ's love is made evident to others when they get a taste of my life.

JUST WALKING

WALK (Even When You Don’t Want To) `I really didn’t even want to get up this morning. My body was achy...nothing major just “old-age” aches and pains that usually disappear once I am up and moving. But this morning seemed a good morning to turn on my other side, wrap my arms around my pillow, pull the sheet a little closer to my chin and just snuggle down for another few minutes. I knew if I did, my walk wouldn’t happen. I have promised myself I will walk each day this week, so I made myself get up, get dressed and start down the blacktop toward the highway. I would not describe my steps as lively or my face as joyful, but I am walking. I plod along my usual route, and just as I turn the corner to start the last lap of my journey there they are in front of me...right in the middle of the road. A doe and her little fawn are also taking their morning stroll. Batting their eyes and twitching their white tails, they stand ears-up alert, poised to run at the slightest indication of danger. Obviously not feeling I am too dangerous, the mother and baby wander slowly across the road, turn once to check me out and then bound into the corn field behind Crestwood School. And even though I know deer are rampant in this county, cause many automobile accidents and eat our crops, they are still a beautiful early morning surprise. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and God’s creation is all around me. Seeing the deer, I stop for a minute, enjoy my surroundings and thank God that I am physically able to walk as a part of His creation. I continue on towards home just thankful that even though I didn’t really want to walk, I had trudged the path and turned the corner and experienced the sudden beauty of the mother and her child of nature. Again God reminds me in His own way that “this is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.” I wonder if this isn’t also true about our daily spiritual walk. Many times I start the day not really too anxious to do the God “things” I know I should do. Reading my Bible, praying, calling on the sick, sending the cards, talking to my neighbor about Jesus are not things I want to do. I would much rather pull the sheet of the world around me and go on with my life of pleasure. And yet when I take the time and make the effort, I find many lovely surprises just waiting for me as I turn the corner. I realize how God’s Word speaks to me so personally; how much I enjoyed visiting with the lady in the nursing home; how talking to my neighbor has brought me a new friend and most of all the joy I feel when the day is done. Again His Word comes “Ask where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your soul.” And I have. Enjoy your walk.