Transitioning from cool spring breezes to hot humid days, my desire to walk wanes.
This spring I began walking during the middle of the day as a way to step back from the chaos of juggling our six children within four walls. I needed to take a breath and find space to regroup. I needed a way to slow down and to connect with God and hear His voice.
This habit bodes well when the days are cool and the breeze refreshing. However, as soon as the humidity kicked in, the walk switched to one that scorches my skin and drenches my body with sweat. The once easy stroll became a painstaking excursion. Instead of craving the walk, I dread it or avoid it all together. The problem is that I still need the benefits, which only this type of outing can provide. I trade the refreshment and connection for the convenience of air conditioning. How should I proceed when the path no longer looks inviting?
I think I have two choices.
On one hand, I can decide to rearrange my schedule and carve out time for refreshment during a cooler part of the day. This seemingly simple solution requires shuffling not just my schedule but that of the seven other humans in my home. Simple becomes daunting in a manner of seconds.
On the other hand, I can keep my schedule and face the sweat on my head. Today I did just that. Although it was not nearly as pleasant as the clear, cool days of spring, it also wasn’t as painful as I had originally expected. The blessings of the walk outweighed the inconveniences. The connection found in solitude superseded the discomfort. Upon reflection, the sweat became an unexpected gift of refreshment, a perfectly designed air conditioner. Beauty was found in the pain of the heat.
As I ponder my decision to walk anyway, I’m reminded that daily God beckons me to “walk anyway.” Some days we wake up to simple solutions, convenient connections, and painless productivity. Walking with God seems effortless as the day around us unfolds smoothly. Other days begin with chaos, heartache, brokenness, and uncomfortable obstacles. Still, God calls us to walk with Him. On these days, the need for connection is greater, but the desire to walk is overshadowed by the burdens that lay ahead. The desire to hide outweighs the one to be held. The call to convenience and comfort speaks louder than the whisper for connection.
The benefits of the walk remain the same, and perhaps more than ever we need the refreshment when the heat of this life threatens to squelch our hope and will to keep walking. When life leads us in a direction that we didn’t want to go, whether temporarily or for an extended stay, we need to walk with God anyway. We need to breathe in the hope that comes from resting in God’s Word. God offers to rebuild us in our brokenness and to heal us in our pain. Creating space to hear His voice over the din of the chaos often reveals scars which can only be seen and then healed by the heat of the full Son. Although the walk may not always be comfortable or convenient, the gift of growth received when we keep walking exceeds all expectations.
The road may be hard, friends, but walk anyway.
