My Morning Walk

I wish I could say that I am a faithful gym goer. I try, but any old excuse has the potential to keep me away. My neighbor asked me last week if I enjoyed going to the gym, and my answer was a quick and emphatic, “No!” However, I did commit to walking 50 Miles in March and I succeeded with 10 extra miles to spare. I also committed with Anytime Fitness to 100 Days in 2019, and thus far have completed 83 of them. Surely I can get those 17 in before the New Year. 

Yet there is a walk I take every morning from my Keurig in the kitchen to the sofa in the sunroom. I have been doing it so long now that even if my head hurts or my heart is too heavy to mouth the words, I know the rhythm of it and I believe God sees my prayer even when it is not spoken aloud. It looks like this.

With coffee in hand, I open the squeaky dining room door, walk to the window and twist the blind. Looking toward the east, the sky is beginning to show its hope of a new day. I slip off my flip flops and let my knees and elbows touch the carpet. 

Praise be to the Father,

Praise be to the Son,

Praise be to the Spirit,

The Three in One.

I rise, slip on my shoes, and looking out the window, sing:

I say to this day you are blessed,

And I declare I serve a mighty God

Who today will do exceedingly abundantly more

Than I could ever ask or think.

I say You are a good, good God,

And I eagerly anticipate Your goodness today.

I make my way to the foyer where I turn on the first lamp.

I kindle my lamps this morning 

in the presence of the Holy Trinity.

I open the blinds on each side of the front door.

Without malice, without jealousy, without envy,

Without resentment or anger,

I switch on the lamp on the other side of the door.

Without fear, without terror of any living thing under the sun,

But the Holy Son of God to shield me.

I step into the den and light the lamp on my husband’s grandmother’s secretary.

God, kindle within my heart a flame of love

To my neighbor, to my foe, to my kindred all,

To the brave, to the knave, to the thrall.

From the lowliest thing that liveth,

To the Name that is highest of all,

Kindle within my heart a flame of love.

And then as I walk across the den, there are 9 intentional steps as I bless my house with 

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Gentleness

Faithfulness

Self-control

I step into the sunroom and beseech the Spirit for His

Wisdom, 

Understanding, 

Counsel, 

Might, 

Knowledge

I raise the window just a bit so I can hear creation waking, and I pray:

Open the windows of heaven, O God,

And pour out Your blessing upon us.

                 

It’s my morning walk.  An exercise of the heart.

Just an ordinary moment...