Saturday, February 27, 2021

​“So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Deuteronomy 10:12
 
I lace up my shoes, cue up an audio book, grab a mask, and step out our front door. From there, the choices are endless—do I turn right or left onto Westerly Parkway? Do I walk the golf course path leading me under canopies of trees and where the same thickets which safely harbor wintering birds will offer up summer blackberries? Do I walk to Good Day Cafe for a takeout cup of coffee or head to Weis Market to pick up a few groceries? Do I travel along Blue Course Drive past schools and playgrounds or weave my way through nearby neighborhoods of countless sidewalks and unlimited routes? Do I walk through Holmes Foster Park and delight in a backyard view of an amazing yard sculpture fashioned from a collection of balls of all sizes artfully arranged on poles of varied heights?
 
In my travels I pass dog walkers, runners, children on scooters, families on bikes and even an intrepid member of Grace who daily pushes her walker three miles. From our social distances, people wave, nod, smile, or speak a few words and those small human connections are so gratifying. I patronize Little Free Libraries, rest on benches, observe the changing of the seasons, check out gardens, admire historic architecture and enjoy following home improvement projects. I recall childhood friends who grew up in homes I pass, and my mind drifts back to tender memories.
 
With the pandemic practices of staying home, masking, social distancing and the halting of the ways we previously gathered, the parameters of my personal world have shrunk. It is easy to slip into a myopic view of life, one where the universe spins primarily in my own little orbit.
 
But when I put on those walking shoes and step outside into the light of day, suddenly the world expands as my attention is drawn into the larger life humming all around me. Mindfully walking through this world God has created offers me bright spots of peace, grace and hope. And for that, I am most grateful.
 
Ellen Herman Campbell