Walking Graces

If you are walking to seek, ye shall find.  

~Sommeil Liberosensa

Feeling overwhelmed by the daily demands of life—and who doesn't???—I picked up the book Sabbath by Wayne Muller. I'd read it ten years ago, when it first came out. Back then, I raced through the book, gobbling up the ideas like hot popcorn. Now, I am taking my time with the book. Don't assume that I'm reading more slowly because I'm wiser. Hardly. It's that I rarely have time to read. In other words, I need a sabbath to read Sabbath.

I did get far enough in the book to read about the Sabbath Walk. According to Muller, this is a slow and silent thirty-minute walk. He says this about the practice, "Follow your own timing and curiosity. When you are called to stop, stop and investigate. When you are called to begin again, simply move on. That is all."

I love the idea of wandering for thirty-minutes, on the lookout for miracles. I'm enchanted with the thought of walking without purpose. But I need a guide. Left to my own devices, I will always be intent on getting somewhere or becoming fit or, at the very least, thinking over big ideas. 

I live with a couple of children who are happy to wander aimlessly through the world. Thankfully, they are still willing to let me tag along. When I allow my children to take me on a walk, I am surprised by the miracles they find. Dogs, dandelions, rocks, and (as you can see above) another family out for a walk. But maybe the biggest miracle is this: instead of moving onto the next big thing, we stopped and watched. We took a sabbath moment.

This week, take ten minutes to wander around the block or through a park. See what you uncover—in the world and in your soul. 

RESOURCES:

Brandi Carlile's song, Have You Ever, provides a wonderful soundtrack for the wandering walk. Take a moment to listen to it. It's a catchy reminder to get out and walk!

I've also provided a link to Wayne Muller's wonderful book Sabbath. A must-have for the world-weary among us!