TAKING A LONG WALK

Read Micah 4

I really like going for hikes in the woods. There is just something rejuvenating about getting back to nature and enjoying the outdoors. But I found out something a few years ago about hiking. You have to prepare carefully where and when you go.

My son, Christopher, and I had planned this day hike for weeks to the Stone Door area about an hour outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee, where we live. The only problem was a cold front came in that week, and the temperatures dropped into the teens in Chattanooga and into the single digits where we were going. But being thickheaded men, we toughed it out. Needless to say, it was an exhilarating, challenging, and, at times, scary hike.

TEACHING MOMENT

Our walk with the Lord can be unpredictable, too. We never know what is just around the next bend in the trail. That is something we need to teach our children. Life is challenging. But if we are following the trail blazed by the Master Trailblazer, we are safe. The trail may go up and then down, around bends, and across roaring rivers. But if we continue to walk with Him, we are just along for the hike.

Why not take your children on a hike this week? Find a nature trail or a park and go for a walk. Quote this verse to them as you walk and ask them what it means to walk with the Lord. They may ask, “Do we walk on clouds?” or “What does God wear on a hike?” Laugh a little, enjoy the walk. Just like we should do with the Lord.

Walking with the Lord is great exercise for our soul just as walking a trail here is good for our bodies (unless you are doing it in subzero weather). Take the time today to thank the Lord for walking with you.

Father of all creation, help me to enjoy my walk with you. Allow me to stop and “smell the roses” along the way. That way, when I encounter the bridge that has been washed out, I will remember that sweet smell and know You are with me.