Writers' Corner: Middle of the road
I renewed my commitment to early morning prayer-walking when we moved to our new home north of Sturgis in 2014. Our current country road has far less traffic than where we lived on U.S. 12. I was inspired by a neighbor who is even older than me. He seldom missed a day, regardless of the weather. Heat, cold, snow, rain and ice did not keep him from walking early each morning. He was more regular than our mailman.
He was usually on his way home when I was just beginning. I often ran into him while walking. A few times, we did not see each other in the dark. He screamed in shock when we were mere inches apart. Thankfully, we never collided.
I wondered why he walked in the middle of the road, except when cars were passing. I soon figured it out. Our road has a fairly steep crown, so walking on the slant on either side of the middle causes stress on the knees, legs, and ankles. I suppose if one regularly walked on the slanted part of the road, he would have to change his name to “I- lean.”
There are two other advantages. First, it is easier to see traffic and move to safety to the opposite side of the road. Second, there are places where the water puddles near the edge of the road. Staying near the middle protects walkers from getting their feet wet or slipping on the ice. My neighbor walks in the warmth of the Doyle Center now. I miss “running into him.” I so enjoyed talking with him, I often walked back to his house with him before completing my walk.
It is usually dark when I walk from late November through Early spring. There are advantages to walking before light. It is easier to see cars coming and I am less self-conscious of people thinking I am talking to myself because I prefer praying out loud.
In life, however, walking the middle of the road keeps people from becoming everything they are designed to be. I recently read the excellent article, “Is the divorce rate among Christians truly the same as among non-Christians?” (GotQuestions.org.) The article states that for people who are active in their churches the divorce rates are 27-50 percent lower than for non-church goers. The same article reports that nominal Christians – those who simply call themselves Christians but do not actively engage in with the faith-are 20 percent more likely to get divorced than the general population.
Middle of the road may have advantages when walking but is a detriment for people of faith. In Revelation 3:16 Jesus warns, “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
The safest way to walk is alongside our maker. He alone keeps us safe and on the right path.
Tip: Thoughts come first. Writing can follow. Take note of your thoughts as you are doing things not requiring full concentration. This article, along with many words I put in print, come from the overflow of thoughts and reflections that come while walking, gardening, fishing, etc. The secret is to record thoughts as they come. I do so on my phone’s “notes” app, but a notepad or texting yourself also helps.
— Doug and Pam Carr pastor His House Foursquare Church in Sturgis. Doug recently published his 30th book, "Time to Act: The Enemy Snuck in While We were Sleeping." Doug can be reached at FreedomMinister@yahoo.com. The Sturgis Writers’ Mill exists to create a community of writers who constructively encourage, support, and challenge each other as they discover their unique voices. Any opinion expressed is solely that of the author.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Writers' Corner: Middle of the road
