Took A Walk Today

Took a walk today, it’s been a while...

I couldn’t even talk, for just under a mile..

Now, as I ponder what I may say today, I can hear The Eagles saying they’re runnin’ down the road tryin’ to loosen their load. Well, for the first time out on a warm day, seems I have added a load that needs to be not only loosened, but lessened. It’s easy when you’re my age to hibernate and put on a few (thousand) pounds.

I felt good and thanked God as I struggled to take in a big breath and then, again, when I breathed out; thanked Him for another spring, and the hopes that come with it.

I took so many things for granted when I was a young boy, even God. I knew of Him as my parents spoke of Him and they knew everything, so who was I to question. Why would I even think to thank God for my very breath, but time and the addition of more and more people through my, now, 76 years has proven to me that something way beyond my understanding is in control of everything, and it ain’t me brothers and sisters.

From near death experiences and Job-like incidents, my personal belief has been, since my children learned to love Jesus at Sunday school, while I sat at home watching TV or was our playing golf or tennis. They relentlessly and consistently pushed me to come to church with them, and one day I did. In a moment like this one, I thought, I knew God, but they had a joy about Him that I did not and because I loved them I was called to seek who this God that I thought I knew was and how did He change from the boyhood stories passed to me by my parents.

It took some heavy love from the church, the West Bridgewater Baptist Church, in my hometown in Massachusetts. Brought up as Roman Catholic, I felt I knew all I needed to, but it seems I had missed the point as youngster, and though was taught to pray to Jesus, I do not recall anyone ever telling me that I could have a personal relationship with Him, that I was the one who changed. I will not mention any names, but these kind people slowly made me understand how little I knew and urged that reading the Bible might offer me some insight I may have missed along the way. I came to know, through the Holy Spirit, that all I was or ever hoped or lived for was the direct sacrifice of a God who gave His only son to die for my sins and I prayed a prayer to be saved and though I didn’t make a big deal out of it, my soul knew I belonged to Him.

That very afternoon, I was bringing a babysitter home in Brockton, MA. and at the intersection of Montello Street and School Street, I was stopped at a red light and chatting with the babysitter, when the light turned green something stopped me from giving any gas, it was like I had no body control and frozen in place, suddenly an old station wagon came through the red light at 50 or 60 miles an hour, and I looked at the babysitter and we both recognized that we narrowly escaped death.

Life is funny that way, is it not? Since then, I haven’t questioned God about anything. My life no matter how long or short is His, I just go for walks when the weather is warm. The bad or negatives of the past are forgotten and generally my mood is always of forgiveness first and trying to be kind in the now whenever I can. He knows my heart, and my life is between me and Him. If I hurt, I know others are in worse pain and I pray for them.

For detractors of my faith, I can only say it’s my life. Believe what you will but know if you don’t know God, there are many of us who pray for you, that somehow, He would enter your life that you not perish in this life without the assurance of everlasting life in the next.

Enough for now, praying for you who in are poor health, or having other nagging issues, know you are loved.

just sayin’ until next time..