Walk to Miracles
Real life
unexpected and encouraging obsticals to overcome
The WALK
With my ear buds in my ears I am listening to my favorite tunes as I power walked the warm sun filled evening neighborhood street of early fall. As I approached the intersection, I decided to turn right. The second house in there is a family of three in their driveway. As I approach I make a friendly wave in their direction. Down the driveway with determination comes this 4 year old boy on his bike with training wheels. He let out a joyful “ZOOOOM” as he wizzes past me onthe street. I start to laugh from the joy of this child's enthusiasm. Then five feet ahead he stops, looks over his shoulder, smiles at me and waits. I sense an eagerness as I approach. I stop right next to him, hunch down to his level, look him square in his eyes, and I state “Do you want to race?” I haven’t finished the sentence as he starts huffing and puffing with the largest inflated cheeks I have ever seen. His bike swaying right then left with each foot pushing those peddles to their maximum speed. Those training wheels are the only way he is staying up right. After he has gained yardage, I play along. I start to race after him on foot. When I catch up to him, I keep pace with him. Then I look back to see his where his parents are located. In front of me the little boy face showed a look of disappointed so he stopped. He waited patiently and eagerly for me to approach again. When I ran up next to him I stopped too. Next his Dad rides up beside us on his bike. The boy turns to me, stares me down with a look of competition and starts racing again. I double over in laughter. This boy is interested in racing me! It is amazing me how interested this child is playing with me, an adult. I take my first stride and off I go again. This time I can barely catch my breath as I am laughing so hard. Those training wheels are making it so much harder for him to peddle. With every stride this large manly grunt comes from this pint sized body. Those darned training wheels are holding him back. I had to stop to catch my breath from laughing so hard. He stops, stares me down over his shoulder and as I approach him off he goes again, grunting! This time I am in the lead and intentionally stop before the intersection thinking he would follow my lead and stop too. He is still in race mode staring me down and grunting as he nears the intersection. In a panic I realized he is not going to stop. He has no idea of the danger of the intersection. A car is halfway through the intersection. I sprint with an outstretched arm grabbing at his clothing and catching his shirt in time. I get him to stop as the car goes by. His parents weren’t around. Here I was a complete stranger who cared about this little boy enough to stop him before he could get hurt. I thought isn’t that like God’s love for us. I have had my fair share of being stopped in my tracks during my life time. I never liked it. I will never like it if God chooses to do it again. But, sometimes God stops us in our tracks for a while to grow us, mature us, and develop in us for even closer relationship with Him through trials of all kinds. This morning I was reading 2 Cor 1:3-11. It starts with, ”Praise be to the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles….On him we will set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers…. Give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to prayers of many“. These stopping moments should turn into our greatest moments of praise because of the love God has for us. Those moments are of our greatest spiritual growth. We should never underestimate the power God has in our lives during those stopping moments. As his Dad approached the two of us, all three of us crossed the intersection together safely. This boy could have stalled, being paralyzed by fear that holds many of us adults stuck in our tracks. Not this little boy. Instead when we reached the other side of the intersection the little boy stared me down again. His competitive nature drove him to desire to start the race again. All three of us raced to our destination at the end of the street which was the lush green park. Then he lost interest in me and the park was his destination, his dream, and his desire. I believe like this child’s faith we are to resume our race to make it to our finish line too. The stops along the way are for reflection in our lives. Then are meant to refine our character and spiritual walk with God. Sometimes the trials are short and sometimes they are long. Through the prayers of our friends, family and intimate time with God we should hold onto our hope in our salvation to make it to our green park.