Walk with a Purpose

I went on a New Year’s Day hike today with one of my spirit sisters. It was a great hike, but also, a strenuous hike – mostly because I’m a bit out of shape. I haven’t been hitting the trails as often, over the past months, as usual. So, my legs had become a bit, umm - soft. This hike included a lot of steps and very steep inclines. Before we had completed the first mile, the muscles in my legs were screaming and every so often, I had to stop for a micro-rest - i.e. a short breather and to stretch those screaming muscles! Huffing and puffing, each step up that mountainside, at times, I felt like my lungs were going to burst out of my chest, and my legs felt like they would give out at any moment. But on we trudged – step by step.

As we pushed our way up and up, I began to think about a story I had heard years back, during one of my Sierra Club leadership training classes. A fellow hiker had an encounter with an old mountain man. This man’s advice was to “walk as though you’re going to walk forever – walk with a purpose”. Along with the advice, he demonstrated how hikers should walk in a way that would prevent muscle fatigue. He referred to is as “walking on your skeleton”. And, he told us, you keep your eyes on the trail and walk at a pace that will allow you to walk forever.

Most hikers – when tired – will start to drag their feet a bit and strain their leg muscles to push themselves up an incline. This leads to muscle fatigue and soreness – or as I discovered today – screaming muscles! The old man suggested that if you intentionally pick your foot up and place it down, at the same time, keeping your knees soft (straightening, but never fully extending your knees), allowing your skeleton to bear the weight, it will relieve the strain on your legs and alleviate muscle fatigue. To do this, you must consciously think about your foot placement. It takes practice and looks odd from behind, but after a while, it becomes 2nd nature, and really, who cares what you look like when you’re hiking! I demonstrated it for my hiking buddy and we began to consciously think about our foot placement as we made our way up a very steep incline. Immediately, I noticed the change. My muscles began to relax, as my skeleton bore the stress and strains of the upward climb.

My mind stirred with thoughts about how the Christian walk often resembles this. We trudge along in life, often operating in our flesh and our own desires, and eventually find ourselves worn out and our deflated spiritual muscles “screaming” from the stress and soreness of life’s beatings.

Why do we do this? Well, for me, it usually happens when I’ve taken my eyes off the path (i.e. Jesus – the Way). And sometimes, it’s only for a moment, but that moment can be enough to derail me - temporarily anyways. It happens when I allow myself to get wrapped up in day to day problems, and try to handle life’s issues in my own strength. It happens when I lose focus of where my strength truly lies; in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit - my “skeleton” who wants to bear the weight of the burdens I carry.

So, how can we resolve this?

• We must allow ourselves to continually rest in God’s strength and not our own. When stress is bearing down, pause, pray and meditate on God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you. Believe that God loves you and is hard at work, on your behalf.

• Keep your eyes on the path ahead - lean into God as the source of power to continue putting one foot in front of the other. Seek His guidance and wisdom through prayer and scripture. God is your “skeleton”. Let Him bear the weight.

• Seek God at a pace that will allow you to walk with Him consistently. This race is not a competition with others – as Apostle Paul noted, you’re only competing against yourself. Never judge yourself or your growth by another’s.

• Walk with a purpose. God has a task for each of us. The task He set for you, may look nothing like the one He set for me. Focus on the task God assigns to you, and then do it!

• Walk as though you’re going to walk forever, because, guess what!?! The Christian walk, is a forever walk.

Psalm 91:2-5 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day.

Blessings,

Allison