Gratitude on the Go — Carol McLeod Ministries
In case you have forgotten this important piece of information about my life or have somehow missed it – my daily walks are nothing if not legendary.
I have had numerous divine appointments with needy, hurting people as I saunter along my 3-mile route in the neighborhoods near my home.
God has spoken to me through clouds … and through geese … and through the change of seasons … and through my aging body as I trudge along!
My daily walks are the stuff of which dreams are created … prayers are prayed … philosophies are born … and tears are shed.
When we used to live in Buffalo, New York, during the harsh, cold days of winter, I was forced to walk inside my house … basically because I am a wimp and I despise breathing in cold air.
However, as soon as the temperature crept above 45 degrees in that city known for perpetual winter … I would bundle up and enthusiastically marched through my little corner of this great and glorious world!
“How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.” – Psalm 89:15
Now, however, we lived in the magnificent state of Oklahoma, and I can generally walk outside nearly 365 days a year. Oh, there are some days when it might be a little too cold … but most days you will find me outside with my ear buds in … my walking shoes on … and a grin plastered across my aging face.
As I walked up hill and down this week through the 80-degree weather that marks the month of May in Oklahoma, it was almost as if I was traveling through time. I observed the circle of life from so many different vantage points that I am began to giggle at the timing and the creativity of my God.
Would you like to come along on this epic walk with me?
As I walked out my front door toward the sidewalk that encircles my neighborhood, I saw a young couple pushing their baby in a stroller.
They were smiling and chatting as the daddy pushed his baby girl around my walking trail. The baby was just old enough to have discovered her toes; all I saw were two small pink socks gleefully kicking around from the depths of the old-fashioned baby buggy.
All that I heard was joy … pure joy!
The voices of the mommy and daddy were laced with a sweet mixture of contentment and possibility … while the baby chortled at her brilliant pink toes!
I could only imagine what the hopes and dreams of these two parents were for their little girl … and I gave them a wave as we passed by each other … from different seasons and different perspectives in life.
If they had asked me for my wisdom … I would have told them how quickly life passes by … and to wring the joy out of an ordinary day … and to read books and sing songs and play games with their little bundle of femininity.
I wanted to tell them to rock her … and to turn off their smart phones … and not to sweat the small stuff.
Oh! How I ached to be them!
My heart had just barely gotten over the delight of seeing the young mom and dad when barreling around the next corner came a pig-tailed girl of about 8 or 10.
She was on her purple bike and was practicing riding with no hands. She had freckles dancing across her nose and determination written all over her face.
I wanted to tell this medium-sized bundle of energy to stay innocent as long as possible.
I wanted to encourage her just to be content playing with dolls and giggling at her brother’s jokes.
I wanted to explain to her that there is a singular magic about childhood and that it never comes again.
I wanted to tell her to pick daisies … and to catch fireflies … and to dance in the rain with her sister.
Oh! How I ached to be her!
And then – after walking another mile or two - the next person who came into my view was a teen-age girl with earbuds in and … let me tell you … this girl was jogging hard! She had worked up a mighty sweat and was intent on one thing … going fast and finishing strong!
I wondered if she had the Olympics in her heart.
This teen-ager was a lean, mean running machine … and I quickly stepped to the side so that she could fly right by me.
I almost turned around and tapped her on the shoulder so that I could tell her to choose her friends wisely … to dream gargantuan dreams … and to stay pure until marriage.
I wanted to see if she would meet me for coffee so that I could listen to her heart and then sweetly coach her to be kind to her parents … to read great books … and to reach out to someone at her school who was struggling.
This girl was gorgeous … skinny … and motivated.
And I wanted to tell her that “having it all” doesn’t mean that you’ve got what it takes to build a meaningful life.
A meaningful and significant life comes from generosity … from diligence … from gratitude and from humility.
But she flew by me and never even attempted to make eye contact with me.
Oh! How I ached to be her!
And finally … on this early Spring walk … I saw him.
I had seen him last year on my daily walks and, frankly, I wondered if he was still alive.
He was an elderly gentleman … and one side of his body was obviously weakened. He held his left arm at a strange angle and dragged his left foot as he walked.
He was never alone but always had someone with him.
His companion often changed … sometimes I wondered if it was his daughter … other times I assumed that perhaps it was a nurse or an aide.
My walking trail of choice has benches interspersed along the way and this kindly and persevering man stopped at every one – just to catch his breath it seemed.
Perhaps he stopped to enjoy the sound of the geese squawking and the birds’ singing.
Perhaps he wanted to drink it all in – this treasure of life that has been so grandly bestowed upon us, the created.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” – Psalm 24:1
We paused for a minute to exchange pleasantries … as we often do when we see each other.
My first question to him just sort of popped out, “How was your winter?”
(Now mind you, I don’t even know his name!)
“It was long and cold,” he replied with a twinkle in his eye.
I continued my conversation by asking the all-inclusive, all-convenient question of,
“ Well … How are you doing?”
He responded in his weakened voice, “Not too bad for an old guy …”
I could sense at this point that his companion wanted to move on along … so I ended our short conversation by simply saying, “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
And as he started to walk away from me, he barely turned his head and whispered just loud enough for me to hear, “Everyday is a beautiful day!”
Oh! How I ached to live well … and to remember that every day is a beautiful day.
“Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.” – Genesis 25:8
Thanks for listening to my heart this week. As you know by now, my heart is truly not a perfect heart but it is a heart that is filled to overflowing with gratitude for the life I have been given and for the people who walk with me. And, it continues to be a heart that is relentlessly chasing after God and all that He is!
