A Walk to Remember

I have been reminded today that God is at work in the routines of daily life...you know, those ordinary tasks that must be done, but hold little excitement. Take walking the dogs for instance...not high on my fulfillment list, but necessary just the same. I suppose Freddie and Max, our miniature Schnauzers, think their walks are pretty cool because whenever the door is opened, or their leashes gathered, they immediately run to the kitchen for a new adventure...tails wagging, tongues panting, and often an agitated movement that makes putting their leashes on a test of manual dexterity and patience, particularly when we are returning home and they are released from the basement.

This morning I was walking with the boys when a neighbor drove by, stopped and rolled down the window of her car. We greeted one another and amazingly, Freddie and Max who always believe that every conversation and every encounter is an opportunity for them to join the discussion, stood strangely reserved. In the unexpected quiet, I was able to carry on a conversation with this neighbor and she asked if we had a prayer list at church. I assured her we did and asked how we could pray for her. She told me that her daughter had a massive stroke a few weeks ago. Her daughter has two teenage sons and has recently become engaged to be married. This daughter has had a number of health problems through the years, but this stroke has been devastating. Compounding the heartache is the fact that this woman's fiance's sixteen year-old daughter was seriously injured in an automobile accident a few weeks ago and is now in a coma.

As I stood in the street, Max and Freddie, quietly listening at my feet, my neighbor expressed her appreciation for including her daughter in our prayers, and then I asked her if I could have a prayer with her, right there in the street. She consented and we prayed...no traffic came by, no neighbors walked about us, and the dogs sat suddenly quiet and obedient. It was a moment of opportunity in the midst of a rather mundane, routine chore. Yet, God was present in a most unusual way.

As I finished, with tears in her eyes, my neighbor thanked me and drove away. Max, Freddie, and I made our way back home and they received their usual treat for a successful trip. God does work in mysterious ways, opening doors in particular moments with particular people that bring blessing. In the 119th Psalm, the Psalmist wrote, "Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders." (The Message) Having prayer with a neighbor is not necessarily a miracle event, but recognizing how God works in often unanticipated ways is indeed an eye-opening event. I believe God would have us walk, particularly through the routines of daily living, with eyes, minds, and hearts open to how He might use us...reminding us, and the world around us, of his "miracle-wonders."

Jim Abernathy