​

Walking can be a spiritual discipline of its own.

I would love to say that I'm a person who does well with "quiet time." "Quiet time," as taught to me (and which I also originally taught) must involve a bible, a journal, a quiet space. Prayers must be recorded. Biblical insights must be had. Copious amounts of sitting still and thinking on the things of God is meant to yield a life of holiness, peace and purity.

And while I do actually believe those things are helpful and true, I also believe that our God is wild and creative and dynamic, too, and available in more places than a leather journal before the sunrise.

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I've been walking and walking and walking to prepare for the marathon in December (walking a marathon is not just a test of physical stamina, but maybe more so, mental stamina...) I've been walking with friends and walking in solitude. I've convinced Dave that walking is a great way to spend time together. I've listened to audiobooks and I've listened to my own heart. I've taken calls and worked while wearing grooves and wearing out sneakers in the city streets around my house. And what I've discovered is that it's often while walking with God --really inviting Him on a walk--it's often in that walking that I discover what I'm really feeling, what I'm really needing, and how God is meeting those needs with his presence and wisdom and love. Almost all of the time, I don't know any of those things and needs before the walk--but as the miles pass and I take step after step, the rhythm of the movement quiets my inner storm just enough to actually connect with what I need and remember what God has promised.

Out on a walk this week with some of the best kind of friends, friends who've seen each through many seasons, we shared the burdens on our hearts. We listened and empathized like only old friends can, and we made space to express where we were finding God, where we were still seeking Him, and all the messy places in between.

On that walk, a teenage boy deer strutted out onto the path. His big eyes met ours, held our gaze, and then, while we held our breath, he sauntered off.

It makes sense to me, that Jesus would walk with his disciples, and not just because that was their primary mode of transport.

It makes sense that he would walk, and while they unloaded their burdens or concerns or thoughts about the future, that Jesus would say, "you see that sparrow over there? [Matthew 10]" Or "look at the lilies in the field. [Luke 12]"

It makes sense he would call them sheep; and branches on a vine; and salt and light--all things they would encounter while on a walk together.

It makes sense that he would say "walk with me and work with me, watch how I do it." [Matthew 11, MSG].

Even when nothing else seems to make sense, God gives us this natural world as a way to understand Him and His design, one little revelation at a time.

So this week, whether you encounter God in a quiet place with a bible and a journal, or whether you seek God on a walk, in nature, while you close your eyes or while you work, remember that He is a God who's moving with you, who's behind you, and in front of you, and around you, who promises again and again that He will never leave you or forsake you--and that truth is worth seeking out, one step at a time.

Nicole

​

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Listen on Spotify

Walking can be a spiritual discipline of its own.

I would love to say that I'm a person who does well with "quiet time." "Quiet time," as taught to me (and which I also originally taught) must involve a bible, a journal, a quiet space. Prayers must be recorded. Biblical insights must be had. Copious amounts of sitting still and thinking on the things of God is meant to yield a life of holiness, peace and purity.

And while I do actually believe those things are helpful and true, I also believe that our God is wild and creative and dynamic, too, and available in more places than a leather journal before the sunrise.

​

I've been walking and walking and walking to prepare for the marathon in December (walking a marathon is not just a test of physical stamina, but maybe more so, mental stamina...) I've been walking with friends and walking in solitude. I've convinced Dave that walking is a great way to spend time together. I've listened to audiobooks and I've listened to my own heart. I've taken calls and worked while wearing grooves and wearing out sneakers in the city streets around my house. And what I've discovered is that it's often while walking with God --really inviting Him on a walk--it's often in that walking that I discover what I'm really feeling, what I'm really needing, and how God is meeting those needs with his presence and wisdom and love. Almost all of the time, I don't know any of those things and needs before the walk--but as the miles pass and I take step after step, the rhythm of the movement quiets my inner storm just enough to actually connect with what I need and remember what God has promised.

Out on a walk this week with some of the best kind of friends, friends who've seen each through many seasons, we shared the burdens on our hearts. We listened and empathized like only old friends can, and we made space to express where we were finding God, where we were still seeking Him, and all the messy places in between.

On that walk, a teenage boy deer strutted out onto the path. His big eyes met ours, held our gaze, and then, while we held our breath, he sauntered off.

It makes sense to me, that Jesus would walk with his disciples, and not just because that was their primary mode of transport.

It makes sense that he would walk, and while they unloaded their burdens or concerns or thoughts about the future, that Jesus would say, "you see that sparrow over there? [Matthew 10]" Or "look at the lilies in the field. [Luke 12]"

It makes sense he would call them sheep; and branches on a vine; and salt and light--all things they would encounter while on a walk together.

It makes sense that he would say "walk with me and work with me, watch how I do it." [Matthew 11, MSG].

Even when nothing else seems to make sense, God gives us this natural world as a way to understand Him and His design, one little revelation at a time.

So this week, whether you encounter God in a quiet place with a bible and a journal, or whether you seek God on a walk, in nature, while you close your eyes or while you work, remember that He is a God who's moving with you, who's behind you, and in front of you, and around you, who promises again and again that He will never leave you or forsake you--and that truth is worth seeking out, one step at a time.

Nicole

​

podcasts.apple.com

Listen on Spotify