This past year marks a number of walks I have completed -- both officially and unofficially. I started walking early in the Summer of 2013 as a way of burning off excess stress and also as a means of exercise. I still HATE exercising, but I can walk. My regular walks are short ones -- 3 - 5 miles, but mostly just 3 miles. It's something I can get in and get out in under an hour. Then I had a friend who encouraged me to walk a 10K. A 10K!! That's SIX miles. . . well 6.2 miles, to be exact. It's a family walk in conjunction with the Portland Marathon. So all last summer I trained to walk that. By the time the event came, I had garnered the support of not just the one friend who invited me to walk, but we had a group of five that did that 10K. It was a long walk and certainly no part of it was what I had expected. I was pleasantly surprised that it went as fast as it did. Really the three best things about that walk were the TWO gummy bear stations (I got a whole little cup FULL of red gummy bears, my FAVORITE!!) and the time we stopped in the middle of the Broadway Bridge and took a photo of the five of us. It was a great accomplishment to share with some wonderful girl friends.
Then my friend got this bright idea and asked if I wanted to start my Summer 2014 off right and walk a half marathon with her . . .yep, THIRTEEN MILES!! And I tentatively said I would. She promised she would be with me every step of the way. All the while I am thinking what have I gotten myself into? She so kindly sent me a training schedule that started out with 20 minute strolls. I've got this. I can STROLL. Then you move up to easy walking and then brisk walking. No problem! I conveniently neglected to notice the distances of these strolls, easy and brisk walking. You gradually ramp up to 11 miles over the course of 13 weeks. Oh my goodness! What the hell was I thinking?? ELEVEN MILES??? Okay. So I started pounding the pavement. Miles after mile. And before I knew it, it was Half Marathon time. My friend, true to her word, walked beside me the entire way. She even encouraged me to step up my pace after the first couple of miles, which we did and maintained over the entire course. Her husband was there at the finish line waiting for us with the most delicious spread of food I had ever eaten. That chocolate milk was so good and the chicken and the potato salad and the mimosas! I have to say, that one mimosa hit me so hard I was really glad he was driving us home.
To end my summer of 2014, I walked the Portland Marathon 10K again. This time, though, I signed up to walk by myself. I've got this -- it's just a little 6 mile walk -- it's all relative at this point. I also signed up to raise money for a great organization called Pure Life Alliance; they help restore families and marriages after the pain of sexual impurity. People I know sponsored me for almost $1000. That's pretty cool. That can help as many as 3 couples get much needed support for an entire year! But anyway, back to my story -- I signed up to walk by myself because many of my friends had conflicts and couldn't join me this year. As the walk drew closer, I began to get a little apprehensive about doing this by myself. The day of the walk came and the texts began pouring in as I rode the train to downtown Portland. "Stay Strong", "You've got this", "Praying for you". They kept coming as I started the walk. That first mile was sooo hard. No one to talk to, just listening to my music. Another text came in -- "You can do this. You are a strong woman." And another, "I am so proud of you!" And another, "Whoo hoo!!" By the end of the second mile, I was feeling better. I thanked God that I had those encouraging words to walk to and settled down with my favorite Christian music and the praises I sang in my head to Him while I walked. Just before the third mile, I felt a tap on my shoulder. And along came a gal I had met just the night before at a dinner sponsored by the Pure Life Alliance folks. She walks much faster than I do, that's for sure! But she slowed down just a bit and fell into step beside me. I pulled out my ear buds, turned off my music and for the next 3 and a half miles, I got to know her a little better and she got to know me, too. Before I knew it, we were rounding the street corner and entering the last half mile. We finished together and gave each other a hug. I don't know if I'll ever see her again. But I will pray that God continues to bless her life and her ministry.
I've gotten some really great benefits out of walking. I no longer take anti-depressants. I can walk circles around some people. I don't get tired walking up and down the stairs of my house. I get to enjoy some quality time with God just singing along with some of my favorite songs. I get to enjoy the beautiful outdoors that we have here in Oregon. And I think one of the biggest things I've learned is this -- walking is, really, a solitary sport. There's rarely a team event. Walking is kind of like life sometimes. You live your own life. You walk your own life. By yourself. And when the walking gets hard, you lean on God a lot more than you normally would. And He provides someone to step up beside and fall into pace with you to help you to the end of that hard time.
It may be just a walk, but I don't have to do it alone. He will always provide for me what I need at just the very moment in time that I need it.
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