Just Going for a Little Walk

When the dogs were young, I walked -- a lot; we could easily do five miles each day. We wandered and explored new paths; went at different times of the day; met new people along the way. These days my walks are pretty utilitarian, Point A to Point B; no time for exploring, just exercise.

Sometimes I have a tendency to see my Christian walk as a Point A to Point B kind of thing. "You Are Here," and I have to get "There." I foolishly think there is some sort of established route and set speed, and that all of us travel the same course. Not so. The only way is Jesus. After that, it's entirely up to Him.

Scott met Jesus in 2005; that's when he started exploring who Jesus was, what Jesus did, and why Scott would want to serve Him. Before my husband knew Jesus, he respected women, was polite, kept a job to support his family, and hadn't murdered anyone. He was -- I don't know, like, halfway there. Right? I met Jesus when I was four, but had little to no respect for others or myself; I "faked it" for a great many years; and though I could quote pages of Scripture, my life did not reflect their wisdom. In some ways, Scott was "way ahead" of me. We all have the freedom to choose what we will or will not allow to change us. A softness of heart always makes for a more productive walk.

But that's not all. God has a different plan for Scott, and must prepare him for the things he will be required to know and do. My problem areas and hang-ups are different from Scott's, and require attention accordingly. And Scott and I are different in the way we hear and see things. When Scott reads John 3:16, "For God so loved the world...", a picture begins to form in his mind, one different from the one in my mind; the thoughts and emotions evoked are not the same; the truths with which he walks away are not the same truths that will change me at that juncture. We are not traveling the same path. Grace and respecting one another's differences always makes for a more interesting walk.

Even my own relationship with Jesus is constantly changing. In January, I began with a focus on curbing my busyness and surrendering my schedule solely to the Lord. That developed into a plan to be more intentional with my relationships. In the meantime, a book popped up on my radar -- a quick read, or so I thought -- that dealt with some of the reasons why I chose or avoided certain relationships in the past, and what to do about it now. That plan uncovered a smoldering anger within me. As I was training my attention toward a more godly attitude, a period of grief entered my life, drawing my energy away from anger and back toward relationships. Hardly a straight run from A to B; but without the Holy Spirit's guidance, I could have been left back in anger, or gotten sidetracked by grief. Holding onto Jesus always keeps us safe on our walk.

Life is a journey. Wherever your walk with Jesus takes you, keep your heart soft, your love for others deep and your arms tightly wrapped around the One who will lead you along the path of life everlasting.