ADVICE TO WALKERS
IT ALL BEGAN WHEN MY MOTHER TOOK HER HAND AWAY and I took my first steps. I’ve been walking ever since. Long before I learned how to ride a bicycle, I walked everywhere. If I wanted to take the bus to school, I had to walk to the bus stop which was halfway to school, so I just decided to walk to and from the hallowed halls of learning.
Medical personnel tell us that the average person walks about 65,000 miles in their lifetime, which is equivalent to three times around the world. If the average life span for males is 75, then that means that I will have walked about 866 miles per year, or, about 2 .4 miles a day.
The only problem is I hate being average! When I turned 50, I decided to be heart-smart and begin a daily exercise regimen. I decided to walk and have been doing so for the past 20 years. I have averaged about 3 miles per day (a fast walk). This means that I can add another 30,000 miles for a resounding 87,000 miles or another trip around the world! (makes me tired just thinking about it).
I love to walk and do so outdoors for 8 months of the year. The Michigan winters force me into the mall or on my treadmill for the other four. Over the years I have adopted a set of principles that are analogous to life itself! Let me share them with you.
1. Be properly attired (clothe yourself with grace)
2. Head up, shoulders down (walking posture says a lot our
self-worth)
3. Warm up (quiet time stretches the soul).
4. Start slowly (life is a marathon, not a 100-yard dash).
5. Get into a rhythm—better for your heart and lungs
(consistency is important).
6. Watch for dangers (traffic, dogs, cracks, ruts, roots,
fallen limbs and wires, etc. Be alert because life
contains many pitfalls.
7. Walk with a companion (a wonderful time for worship)
8. Don’t quit until you’ve completed your goal.
9. Take your cell phone along; you never know when you
may need it! Keep the lines of communication open
between you and the Lord as well.
9. Take some water along, especially if it is a warm day
and your journey is long. The water of life is the most
refreshing of all.
10. Take a break. Rest a while if you need to. Even our
took a recess now and then.
11. Above all, have proper footwear, especially the shoes of
peace, found in Ephesians 6.
If a daily fitness walk could be put in a pill, it would be one of the most popular prescriptions in the world. It has so many health benefits. Walking can reduce the risk of many diseases — from heart attack and stroke to hip fracture and glaucoma. These may sound like claims on a bottle of snake oil, but they’re backed by major research. Walking requires no prescription, the risk of side effects is very low, and the benefits are numerous: weight management, lowering of blood pressure, boosts good cholesterol, relieves lower back pain, lowers stress levels. The list could go on and on.
The same could be said for our walk with God. The benefits are even more numerous. In fact, they’re out of this world!
As you journey through this life, consider the following advice from the scriptures:
1. Walk worthy of your calling (Ephesians 4:1)
2. No longer walk as you once did before you knew the Lord. Cast off the attire of sin and indifference (Ephesians 4:17).
3. Walk in love even as Christ loved you (Ephesians 5:2).
4. Walk as children of light, casting off the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:8).
As you can see, Ephesians is a manual for walking in the proper manner, as pleasing Christ and enjoying the journey. Happy walking!
