A Lesson from My Walker
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:1-2 (ESV)
Each day I go for a walk and every day I push myself to get a little farther. To smell the scent of autumn, hear the leaves crunch, watch them tumbling down in the breeze; these are moments of great joy for me. Michael walks with me and some of our deepest conversations take place on the road.
Yesterday morning we were going up the hill when my walker stopped. It jolted me and did not feel good! The right front wheel refused to move forward. I looked down expecting to discover a big pebble or road crack but there was none to be seen. Instead, I saw a chunk of macadam—an ever-so-small piece—in front of the wheel. How could such a small thing stop the momentum of a 73-year-old woman on a mission? I was able to navigate around it and continue my adventure.
This reminded me of how it’s the small stuff that trips us up! We get into a comfy routine and zip through each day until there comes the tiniest bump in the road. Call it what you will, an interruption, inconvenience or even an irritation but regardless of terminology, we are stopped short. There is nothing highly visible that should be blocking our journey, but somehow, we are unable to move.
Sin presents a huge roadblock! Perhaps it looks or sounds small like gossip, greed, distrust, dishonesty, or negative thoughts, etc., but it is what it is—sin. There are several options at our disposal. We can simply ignore and step over or around the fault in our road, or we can take a closer look to determine what might be the cause and try to repair it. Who knows, we might even need some spiritual reconstruction to smooth things out.
When I take my walk today, I will be more aware. I know exactly where that blip is located, and with God’s help, I can avoid it.
Heavenly Father, thank You for all the life lessons! Help us not to trip on our sin. Lead us in the path set before us. Give us Your strength to make changes. AMEN.
Photo: Michael Johnston 10/3/25