Re-learning How To Walk

One would think that walking would come naturally to a person who has practiced for over forty-five years.  But no, that’s not necessarily so.  Apparently even animals and insects are better at it than I am.  Centipedes and millipedes, even with all those legs to supervise, somehow maneuver about better than I do.  I have only two legs to manage.  Imagine the brain power of an insect compared to a human being.  No wait, on second thought, let’s don’t even go there.

As it turns out, I learned today that I have been misusing my feet.  By walking primarily on the outsides of my feet I seem to be ignoring the rest of my soles.  This affects my gait which in turn messes with my sacroiliac joint, resulting in serious back pain.  And so at the age of forty-something, I am faced with retraining myself to walk correctly.

Walk It Out

It occurs to me that I have faced this same dilemma many times in my spiritual life as well.  The Bible uses “walking” as a metaphor several times.  It says we can walk in the light, walk in love, walk in the Spirit, walk as Jesus did (I don’t think that’s about sandals), walk in obedience to His commands, and walk in the truth.  That’s a lot of walking!  It means we can put all these things into practice in our life.  The Bible is, after all, about practically “walking out” what God teaches us there.  Anything less is empty, meaningless religion.

Stretching and Strengthening

This isn’t the only time my ability to walk has been seriously hindered.  I broke my knee when I was 12.  With a cast from my hip to my toes, I discovered just how much I had taken walking for granted.  I had to re-learn how to walk then, too, stretching my tight ligaments, strengthening my muscles and coordinating my movements.

I have rediscovered that same thing recently. I have some muscles I’m having to stretch and strengthen, just the same as in my spiritual “walk”.  And have I assumed I was walking okay when all the time there were really things adversely affecting my walk?  I’m certain of it.

Don’t Sit Down

The greatest temptation I face is the urge to give up and just sit down.  Many days I just don’t want to fight it.  It hurts to walk, to stretch, to strengthen.  In what areas of your “walk” are you seriously tempted to just sit down?  I’ve seen too many people just quit.  They give up and quit trying to stretch themselves.  It hurts.  They quit trying to strengthen the weak areas.  It takes work.  Those who quit physically and just sit down, experience a serious loss of quality of life.  The same is true spiritually.

Sure it feels awkward to try to learn a new way to walk; it’s a bit of a struggle.  But what’s the alternative?

“Then Jesus told them, ‘…Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you…’” — John 12:35