I read this morning about a gruesome accident in Nebraska. A 63-year-old farmer was moving grain from one bin to another with an auger that had been modified to fit under a grain bin. The modification included removing a safety shield. His closing got caught in the auger and that pulled his foot into the machine. By the time he got things shut down, his food was mangled and caught in the machinery. He was working alone. He could not find his cell phone. Eventually had was forced to cut of the end of his own leg below the knee with his pocket knife. Once freed from the machine he crawled to a phone, called his son, who came and rushed him to the nearest hospital. From that hospital he was flown to Lincoln for additional treatment. That was followed by weeks of rehabilitation before he was finally released from the hospital. He will live the rest of his life with only one foot.

I have a friend who has one leg that was crushed in an accident and had to be amputated. This friend also is partially paralyzed, so could not walk even if fitted with a prosthesis.

Knowing these stories reminds me of just how good it feels to be able to walk. When the weather is good, I like to leave my car at the church and walk to various meetings around the town. Most of the destinations to which I walk are between one and two miles away. Our church sits on a hill, so I start out going downhill and end my little walks with a bit of a steep climb right at the end. It is a joy to walk from several perspectives.

I have a job that can sometimes be somewhat sedentary. I spend a fair amount of time either sitting at a desk in front of a computer, or sitting and visiting with people. Some days I don’t get enough exercise. I have eaten a bit too much and so I am overweight. Walking doesn’t solve all of my needs for physical activity, but it helps.

Walking gives me time to clear my thinking. In a fast-paced, constantly in contact world of email, cell phones, instant messaging and other things, I frequently have to make the mental adjustment to the world. It is not at all uncommon for me to talk to people in other time zones. When we talk to our daughter in Japan she is always a day ahead of us. I have to think about things that are happening in the future in order to plan and lead worship. When I walk, however, I am called to the present of a slower pace. It isn’t difficult, but I have to start 15 minutes earlier to reach a destination. I need to plan my day so that I have an additional half hour to make up for the extra time it takes to walk. That extra time is a gift. It is an opportunity to allow my mind to wander. I don’t have to be as focused while walking as I do when talking to someone.

While walking to a meeting is hardly the same as a pilgrimage, there is a Christian discipline of traveling at a slow pace for the sake of connection with the world and discerning God’s call. I can walk and pray at the same time. Walking is an especially good time to pray for those who have been injured and are no longer able to walk.

I have just a touch of arthritis. It isn’t much and it doesn’t cause any real problems, but my joints sometimes ache, especially my hands and ankles. When I get up in the morning, I need to take a few steps to loosen up my ankles for the day. Sometimes there is just a touch of pain in a step that I take. It isn’t enough to cause me agony. It is just enough to remind me that I am alive. I am mortal. My body is a gift and I should not take it for granted.

There is another spiritual discipline that is often undertaken as a walking prayer. The discipline is simply to slow the pace of your walking. Take smaller steps. Take fewer steps each minute. With the destination in sight, slow so that you double or even triple the amount of time it takes to reach it. If you slow enough, your mind will eventually release the destination and you will be able to focus on the journey. From a spiritual perspective, all of our lives are a journey. Real joy does not come from reaching the conclusion of our lives, but from the experiences we have along the way. Reminding ourselves of this truth enables us to pay attention to the present and find joy in the moment.

Waling benefits the earth. By leaving the car parked, I consume less fuel, put less pollution into the air and make the machine last a bit longer. My impact is small, but it is real. It is a good choice from the perspective of the environment.

I count myself among the most fortunate of people. I am able to walk. I have work that has a degree of flexibility in scheduling. I can find an extra half hour in a work day to slow my pace and take a few steps. I can allow my imagination and intuition to lead me as I take a few steps.

And there is the simple joy of surprising people. “I didn’t see your car. How did you get here?” or “I saw your car at the church, but you weren’t there.” Just being in a different place than my car surprises people. Because I drive an older vehicle, they often assume that my car has broken down. Sometimes they think I need a ride. Some are puzzled by the fact that I refuse their generous offer of a ride preferring to walk.

Don’t worry, I’m happy when walking.

Copyright (c) 2019 by Ted E. Huffman. I wrote this. If you would like to share it, please direct your friends to my web site. If you'd like permission to copy, please send me an email. Thanks!