My Morning Walk

Good morning Family & Friends, I got up this morning, checked the trees and the garden, did some stretching and then went on a good walk.

For most of this summer I have struggled with walking and with exercising. It has been hot but that is not my struggle. The struggle has been inside of me. The spirit has been low.

At night, instead of sleeping, I struggle trying to fix things I cannot fix, trying to forget things I cannot forget and trying to understand things I cannot understand.

This morning I decided to get out and walk, not on the treadmill but out and about. As I have mentioned before, my time walking is always spent speaking with God and he always, in his own subtle ways, speaks to me.

As I was walking up Hadley approaching Broadway, this woman in a dress seemingly appears on the opposite side of the street; short, somewhat overweight and carrying several items including her purse, a large tote bag and other things I couldn't make out. She had her hands full.

I crossed over to her side so I could use the crosswalk. We both crossed when the light turned green but this woman had a strong pace and left me behind. She was like a robot but as I started to increase my own pace I could feel the pain in my legs so I slowed down.

This is when God began speaking with me, not with a voice but by reminding me that I have to walk my own walk at my pace.

Just as a fighter in the ring has to fight his fight, at his own tempo and rhythm, so too do we in life have to live according to our own pace and rhythm. We have to listen to our own clock, our own heartbeat. We have to listen to God.

By the time I got to Whittier Blvd this woman had already crossed the intersection and was a speck on the horizon. She served her purpose.

I made a right on Whittier Blvd and took it all the way to Sorensen and then I made a right on Sorensen. As I'm walking down Sorenson I see an older man (older than me) out for a walk. He was struggling, using a cane but he was still filled with enthusiasm. As we passed each other, he slowed down just enough to wave and give me huge smile and with a spirit that had to come from God he said "Good morning to you sir!" I smiled and said "Good morning sir!" as well. This was a man grateful to be alive!

A little further along on Sorensen a woman, using a walker, was taking her morning walk. She gave me the same enthusiastic smile and "Good morning" as the man. She was grateful to be alive.

I can't say why or maybe I can but my chest welled up and tears came to my eyes and I said, "Thank you God!"

I continued with my walk uninterrupted but when I got to the final stretch on Broadway, there on the other side of the street was another woman, this one much older than the one I mentioned earlier. She was holding an umbrella and pulling a carrier with wheels that had at least two cases of bottled water. She had that same robotic pace as the first woman. I couldn't pass her either.

I had to laugh though. I said to myself, "Okay God, now you're just teasing me!"