I Took a Walk...

I took a walk with Tiger Woods yesterday...well, actually, I followed Tiger Woods...from afar...along with hundreds of people I had never seen before. I spent part of the day at the AT&T National golf tournament at the Congressional Country Club in Maryland. It was obvious from the ropes barricading the fairways, the numerous PGA officials walking with him, and the armed security guards nervously surveying the crowd that my "walk with Tiger" would indeed be "from afar!" He was near, yet far...visible, yet inaccessible...recognizable, yet unknown by me.

I took a walk with the Lord this morning...well, actually a journey of prayer. There was no security to overcome, no entourage to break through, no ropes to hold me back. There were moments of praise as I acknowledged the wonder of the Creator God. There were moments of confession and repentance, concerns for myself and others, and the framing of hopes for the day. This walk was also characterized by silence as I listened and found comfort in the presence of the One who desired, not to be distant, but as close as a dear, dear friend.

I suppose these walks each had their place...one in the pursuit of entertainment and athletic admiration, the other in pursuit of growing relationship with the One whose Word is life. The walk with Tiger created memories that will fade...the walk with the Lord was another step along a pathway of eternal significance.

Perhaps the closing words of Geoffrey O'Hara's powerful text from "I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked," speak best of this journey..."I walked today where Jesus walked, and felt him close to me." That's a walk that I and you can take every day.

Jim Abernathy