Morning Walk


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
January 08, 2009

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. –John 14-25 NIV

Many of us are trying to keep our New Year resolution about fitness. To take a morning walk on the beach or through the neighborhood is a great start and it can bring some real joy. I think what I like best about walking in the morning is that my mind has not had time yet to be overloaded with chores on my ‘to do’ list. When we allow ourselves to have an empty mind, that is when creativity flows in. If there are no distractions other than the sound of our own steps and the rhythm of our heartbeat, we are free to just enjoy the moment. So often, we are thinking of what to do next, where we must be later in the day and so on. In our homes, the television and radio and chatter of people around us, keeps us in a busy mode. The reflective time that we all need to experience quiet moments and to recharge ourselves can be done during a simple morning walk.

The Holy Spirit surrounds us and is in us. The Holy Spirit can give us the nudge to move forward or to patiently wait for better timing about something in our life. The Holy Spirit is there with answers and wisdom and guidance, too. God sent the Holy Spirit to be our Counselor when Jesus left the earth. But how can we know about this? I have found that it is when I am quiet, after meditating on the Word, the Holy Spirit often gives me a “knowing” about what to do. It is a “leading”. I have learned to trust the “leading” of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit may cause me to feel strongly enough to stop what I am doing and pray for someone. Or, maybe I’ll feel the nudge to telephone someone at that very moment for reasons unknown to me. Some call it intuition but I know it is the Holy Spirit that guides me through the paths of life. God will use us in many ways to serve Him, but we need to learn to listen for Him. In the busy world we live in, a morning walk can be our regular daily time with God and a place where we can also be quiet and listen.