“Likes Long Walks Along the Beach . . .”

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I have been taking stock of my spiritual soil lately.  It hasn’t been a joyful experience.  Anytime you are comparing yourself to the King of Kings, the end result is not going to be pleasant.  Would any of us receive a clean bill of health from Dr. Jesus?

My husband mentioned in a recent sermon that our Christian life is a walk with Jesus.  Yes– it is a description that we have used over and over.  Probably it has been used so many times that you no longer see the simple beauty of the phrase.

Walking with Jesus.

When I think of walks, I immediately think of those cliché personal ads – “likes stargazing, long walks on the beach,” etc.  Then I picture walking with my two boys, pushing the heavy stroller up the hill from the post office, and how we have to spell the word walk because our two-year old loves them so much.

But when used to describe a lifetime of faith in Christ, the pictures are immediately more compelling.  Jesus standing next to us in the grocery store as we hold one child’s hand, while comparing the sugar content between two brands of juice.  Jesus walking beside us as we put laundry away, or do the dishes.  Jesus in the passenger seat of the car as we bring Child A to swim lessons, while refereeing a fight between Child A, Child B, and possibly Child C, D, etc.   Jesus sitting with us in the morning as we open our Bibles to read, to pray, to learn.

Now I am thinking about my walk with Him quite a bit differently, aren’t you?

A walk happens one step at a time, one foot in front of the other.  Each step becomes an opportunity for fellowship, for communion with Him.  Each step, each decision.

Walking with someone who you can see is easy.  You match pace, you pay attention to their movements.  When they start to turn a different direction, you notice, and make adjustments.  Walking with someone unseen, however, proves a bit more difficult.  It is easy to get ahead, or fall behind, or simply make a completely wrong turn.  It is important to continually seek Him so that we stay right by His side.

Things to remember about walking with Jesus:

1. He will never lead you to a place that He is not willing to go Himself.  In other words, if you are following Him, you are never alone, even if the road ahead looks bleak, scary, and desolate.

2. If you get off track, He is right there to bring you back on the right track.  Because, let’s face it–only in commercials and the Wizard of Oz are our paths laid out before us in living color.

3. He is the best company you will ever find.

4. He does not ever get lost.  Ever.

5. He knows the end game.  Your life? He’s seen the end.  He can navigate the financial stresses, and the job concerns, and the medical crises, and the loss of loved ones.  He knows, He has been there, and He is the source of comfort and peace.

Our faith in Christ is a vibrant and exciting journey —  much better than those “long walks on the beach.”  Don’t waste a second!