Why Walk and Why in His Light?

I have been granted the opportunity to live just a few blocks from a bay that flows into the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon Coast. Most days, it is easy to want to go for a walk, even when it is raining. I enjoy walking my little four-legged companion along the bay front, which has an ever-changing view and amazing encounters.

Seals bask in the sun, blue herons walk on spindly legs along the shoreline, and a pair of majestic eagles often choose to rest on a snag that protrudes from the floor of the bay during low tides. I also enjoy the flocks of seagulls flying overhead or perching on the docks, boats and rooftops, their constant ocean banter always music to my ears.

The natural landscape around me is beyond beautiful with the deep gray waters of the bay and the green mountains covered in firs and pines. I am also able to view a bridge spanning the waters below and carrying passengers to and fro above. There is also the sight and sound of the pounding surf off in the distance and a quaint little coastal village, all nestled under an often blue and cloudless sky. (Okay, we get our share of rain and dark clouds, but that’s a whole other story, you can read about it here.)

Then, there are the charming people we meet throughout our walk. With several eateries nearby as well as a marina, I always encounter interesting people coming and going. Some of them are locals whom I have come to know by name, others are tourists who have come to experience a little piece of our heaven for themselves, if only for an extended weekend, or longer, if they are so blessed.

While I walk, I am learning to talk with God, all too often finding myself petitioning Him with my worries. But I am working on just talking to Him and praising the work of His hands. I want Him to know how thankful I am for what He is doing in my life. I want Him to know how grateful I am for carrying me through my darkest days when my heart was too heavy and my legs too weak. I have also come to realize there were times when I was walking away from Him, but He ever so gently pulled me close and held me tight. If I could live a thousand years, it would never be enough time to thank Him.

There is something else I have come to realize about our walks together: I've never returned home feeling discouraged or saddened. Quite honestly, it is quite the opposite, even when my dog and I arrive home drenched, or I have to bathe her because the beach sand left her smelling a little “fishy”.

When I arrive home, I am joyful and full of song. I’ve discovered my energy level increases after my walks, and I truly find enjoyment in the most mundane of tasks. I have always found walking to be refreshing but walking with God? That's invigorating!

As I am learning to walk with Him, talk to Him, and listen to Him, more and more, I am seeing things differently. Somehow worry is no longer worry, it has become prayer. My good mood is not just happiness, it is a joyful and bubbly sensation that overflows into everything I do. I still don't have all the answers as to where I am going or what I am supposed to be doing, but I do have this:

I have an ever-growing faith that He will continue to show me the way. As I walk, in faith, with Him, I see His light shining before me, showing me where to go. If I try to look too far into the distance, there is darkness, followed by anxiety, and a sense of unease. But if I just stay focused on what He has right before me, my path is clearly defined and lit up like the dawn of a new day. He keeps telling me to just take one step at a time, just keep walking with Him, and in His light, and no matter what comes next, I will be alright.

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:105