Runway Walk - Pt 1

(Part 1 of 7)

To Walk Worthy

Several years ago, I took a little “trip,” catching my heel on a step in a narrow stairway.  I shattered my ankle and broke both bones in my right leg, resulting in two major surgeries and eight weeks when I could not put any weight on my right foot.  During that period of enforced inactivity, God began to speak to me about so many blessings we take for granted.  I could not clean the house, cook a meal, or even stand in the shower to wash my hair because I could take the risk of tilting to the right or left and putting the leg down to catch myself. 

Physical coordination has never been my strong suit and breaking my leg didn’t help any.  I refused crutches, with the safety of others around me in mind.  I didn’t want to think about what damage I could do with crutches, so, though it certainly injured my “youthful” dignity, I used a rolling walker.  Even with that, I found myself amazingly inept at even the smallest things, like getting a cup of water.  Though I could hold the empty cup in my mouth enroute to the refrigerator, I would nearly drown myself holding the full cup as I tried to work myself back to the family room.  As I was forced to rely almost totally on others for help in the simplest of tasks, I began to reflect on how much we need the help of our Heavenly Father in our spiritual walk, as well.  

While spending time in a personal Bible study of Ephesians, one phrase began to bore into my mind during that time of being crippled in my physical walk.  In Ephesians 4:1, Paul begs that believers in Christ walk worthy of the calling upon our lives.  I began to dig into that phrase, wondering what it really means to walk worthy as a believer in Christ.  

I love to spend time prayer walking everyday.  I try to walk about three miles a day, and the only way I can justify that kind of time is to do it as a love gift to the Lord.  I spend that time praying for those I love, those in need, and for God’s direction.  One dimension of that walk is that I prefer to do it alone.  I confess that I like to set the pace for walking, the direction of the walk, the time of the walk, and the length of the walk myself.  I don’t want to walk with others who like to talk while walking.  For one thing, I walk hard and talking, for me, impedes breathing.  Not good.  Another thing is that I have, according to our sons, a tiny problem with control issues.  My husband loves to let me out at the church door and park the car.  After church, I will ask, “Where’s the car?” as I gaze across the parking log where nearly 3000 might be in attendance.  His patented answer?  “Just follow me,” as he slowly and methodically takes his time, knowing I am ever so mpatiently walking and looking so I can strike out on my own.  

As I convalesced over the next eight weeks, God began to gently and lovingly show me that far too often, I struck out in my spiritual walk, looking back impatiently to see where He was and asking why He had left me to walk on my own.  Amos 3:3 asks how any two can walk together unless they are in agreement.

Have you ever walked into one of the bargain stores at Christmas time just in time to claim the only shopping cart available?  You think you are so lucky to have found a cart right up until you begin to try to navigate the cart down the aisle.  Suddenly you realize why the cart was available.  No matter what direction you try to guide the cart, it wants to go in the opposite.  Three of the four wheels function fine, but the fourth is locked in brake position.  You are doubly exhausted by the end of the trip because of the shopping and fighting the cart for the entire time.

Yet, in that time when I could not walk, God began to speak to me about how much He loves for us to walk with Him.  In Genesis 3, He saw fit to remind us that in the cool of the day He walked in the Garden of Eden and called for Adam and Eve to walk with Him.  I began to wonder how many times I had missed the precious privilege of walking with the Lord, when He asks, where He asks, and for how long He asks, because I was too busy setting my own path and my own pace.  

We get up, may offer up a quick “good morning, Lord,” and head out for our day, without thanking Him for the blessing of the day and without asking Him for direction for the day.  Then, later, we wonder where the day went wrong.  When is the last time that you set aside time to walk, very specifically, with the Lord and before the Lord?  When is the last time you asked His direction, waited for His reply, and obeyed His voice?  How many times do we strike out on our own and wait, impatiently, for Him to catch up?

Are you walking with the Lord, today?  Or are you the shopping cart setting out on your own?

- Next Week, part 2, "Captivated?" -

© 2010 Gerry Sisk

(05/05/10)