Walks With Jesus

"When through the woods
and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds
sing sweetly in the trees...
Then sings my soul,
my Savior, God, to thee,
how great thou art!"
(How Great Thou Art, Carl Gustav Boberg--translated by Stuart K. Hine)

As I have been walking more late, rather than running, I have been able to pause and enjoy the beauty around me. I've seen dozens of varieties of wildflowers, heard dozens of varieties of birds singing, made friends with horses, seen armadillo, rabbits, squirrels, frogs, snakes, bald eagles and a host of other critters as I have enjoyed my walks.

And while these walks are memorable and lovely, the walks I most remember (and wish I could recapture), are the ones that I took with Jesus back when I lived in Chicago. I took a walk with Jesus at least once per week while there, and often more than that, but the ones that I most remember are those after my friend committed suicide.

For weeks, I walked around the city, ranting at God, telling Him how much I hated everything about He worked sometimes, and lot more that it was pretty darn brave of me to say to the God of the Universe.

But as I look back at those six weeks of my life, I easily realize that that was the period when I was closest to and most in love with God. When I wasn't out screaming at Him, I was in a classroom, eating dinner, talking with my R.A. as we jogged, or I was on my face before God, crying out to Him, "I need you. I want you! I need you. I want you!" Literally, every waking moment was filled with either daily life activity or conversations with God. Really honest conversations with God.

I miss those walks with Jesus, even if I don't miss the pain that provoked them. So, I've begun having my walks with Jesus again. And it has beautiful. Sure, I get distracted, but thankfully God is patient!

This week's challenge: Take a Walk with Jesus. Skip the music, the sermons, the books on mp3, etc., and just strike out for some time alone with Jesus. Talk to Him about the things you are excited about, discouraged about, hurting over, rejoicing over...TALK to Him about it all. Or sing it to Him (that's what I do). Or spend the whole time identifying things to praise Him for, or...well, just make it about HIM and you--a special intimate time with Jesus. I know some of you have chronic illnesses that make it impossible to WALK with Him, but there are other ways of having some special moments with Him. Maybe take a drive through the countryside. Or go sit in a park somewhere.