Teach me Your way, O LORD,
I will walk and live in Your truth;
Direct my heart to fear Your name
[with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].
-Psalm 86:11 (AMP)
Hiking is one of my favorite pastimes. When I lived in East Tennessee, I hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail that was near where I lived in every season. I hiked it alone, with my two year old son, my mom, friends and students. The beauty of the Appalachian Mountains showcases God’s creative beauty. And the smell – if the color green had a smell, it definitely originated along this path. The damp dew on the leaves and plants along the path filled your senses with – well, green.
I enjoyed hiking the path most when with someone. Part of hiking is not only to revel in nature, but also the conversations along the way. In those conversations, teaching is always present. It was on this trail where my son saw his first newt which was a bright orange. We talked about it for probably a good half mile.
My mom liked to walk along the beaches of the ocean and the Great Lakes. However, I did get her to hike this spot on the Appalachian Trail. She then read about the Rhododendron Forest on Roan Mountain and decided we needed to hike through it as well. Of course as we walked along, we talked about everything under the sun. Mom had an uncanny common sense and often saw the bottom line of a situation. I learned a lot from her wisdom as we went on walks together.
Walking with God
Sometimes when I’m walking by myself, I take God along for the hike. I know my neighbors must think I’m nuts as I talk to Him as if He is right beside me physically. Ok, I also talk to myself, and answer myself, what can I say? But talking to God on a hike is a wonderful way to focus on Him and His creation alone. As I walk along, I do stop talking, and listen. Sometimes I hear His voice through the breeze in the trees, or the crashing of the waves on the shore. Sometimes, He speaks in the stillness. I wish I could just hike all day with God. But, daily life happens and I have to work, clean house, take care of the dogs and cats, and I don’t have the time for a walk down the street, let alone a full-blown hike. But this doesn’t mean that God isn’t daily with me. I just have to be intent in my talking with God, and focusing on Him.
“Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. (Colossians 3:15, AMP)”
Benefits of Walking with God
Being peaceful in spirit is one of the great benefits of walking with God. When I know I have a difficult situation ahead of me, or a problem that has just arisen, walking and talking with God about it allows me to let off steam, use God as a sounding board and then listen to what He has to say about the situation. If I don’t hear His voice, which I don’t always, I know He is listening, and I just give the situation to Him to work out because I know He can handle it so much better than I.
Asking God to go ahead of me in a difficult situation doesn’t just give me peace, it also gives me confidence. I know that God is working out the situation in ways I can’t imagine, so I trust in His solution. He has always been faithful in working in difficult situations for me when I ask Him to. This then gives me confidence. I know God wants the best for all involved, and when God is working in a situation between Believers, the best solution will be put forth. If it is a difficult situation that involves non-Believers, then I know I have the God of the Universe on my side, so no worries!
Then there is the obvious to me/not so obvious to others – when I take God along on a hike, I’m not alone. In this time of my life, I’m alone quite often, but I’m not really good at just staying home. There is so much to see and do out in the Michigan snow! God goes with me and protects me and shows me His unbelievable creation along the way.
As God and I hike and talk, I learn more about Him. He tells me what He has purposed for me to do, both now, in the near future and sometimes in the “5 year plan”. Sometimes I stop walking, pull out my phone and write down what God wants me to do. Walking and talking with God is such a pleasure. Thank you God for being my teacher.
Photo credit: 2015 Leslie Leyland Fields
