Keep Walking

Walking, I am told, is an excellent form of exercise and exercise, we all know, is essential for good health. The person who walks makes an investment in his/her physical and mental condition. In adddition to burning calories and reducing weight, walking prevents atrophy of muscles and other essential tissues, safeguards the functions of the heart, the liver and the kidneys, and keeps the body in shape. It is definitely my preferred form of exercise.

Walking requires effort and it does not happen in one spot. It is a dynamic activity. When I am walking, three things are bound to change: my pace, my location and my condition.

I can take a brisk walk or a leisurely stroll, move confidently with even steps or stumble along with uncertainty. When I take a walk, the path that I choose may be dangerous or it may pose no threat at all. A smooth road could be followed by a rough stretch, the way may change from an upward climb to a pelt down a hill. Nothing is constant when I am walking. Change in location is inevitable and so is change in my condition.

My emotional and mental conditions change depending on what I encounter on the walk and my emotional state at the start of my journey. On a long walk, a gloomy mood gives way to joy but the opposite is also possible. I may set off on my walk feeling happy and optimistic but witness a harrowing act of injustice or experience some difficulty which makes me feel depressed. Generally, though, walking improves my mood. On a walk, there is also a lot to learn so intellectual growth also occurs. The stimulation of the senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch - that a walk permits is guaranteed to promote learning.

Notable changes also happen to my physical condition during the course of a walk. My muscles stretch and feelings of fatigue give way to new bursts of energy. I don't just break a sweat, my body is toned and tensions are released from my limbs. I have found out that walking is multifaceted in its benefits and significance.

It is no coincidence that walking is used as a metaphor for life and, particularly, the christian journey.

                                          

I believe when God instructed Abraham in Genesis 17 to walk before Him, His choice of verb was deliberate. God wanted Abraham to make a connection between all that walking signifies and his life. Most importantly, He was letting Abraham know that there were no constants other than His presence on Abraham's journey through life. God wanted Abraham to understand that his pace would change, his location would shift and his condition would be transformed. The metaphor of walking suggests that sometimes he would move briskly and make great progress but sometimes he might stumble, stall, or stop to refresh himself. There are times when he would find himself on the wrong path and have to change course. Sometimes, he would be exuberant but sometimes he would be dejected. God's instruction to Abraham is His instruction to each of us who professes to be a Christian. It is His instruction to me. "Walk before me" is what He says.

 In my christian journey, nothing is constant except God's presence, watching my every move and taking care of me. What this metaphor demands is that I keep moving. Nobody walks in one spot.

So, my friend, yesterday might not have been such a great day but move on. You might have made some mistakes in life, committed a faux pas or misrepresented your faith. People might be taking advantage of you and life may be steep but don't give up. God is watching you and, like a parent who walks behind a child, He is there to protect and help. Don't give up. Keep walking.