You'll Never Walk Alone

Yesterday I went for a long walk, along the trail that they call “River” walk.  To those of us who know what a river really is, this is a giant wash, but for Tucsonans it’s the “River”. That being said, I decided that river or no river, water or no water, I needed fresh air and a change of scenery.  Being cooped up in the house because of the Coronavirus, is not fun for anyone, even us old birds.  So I took myself down to the “River” and began a walk.  I was alone, thinking of all that is going on around the world, wondering what God is going to do with this, speculating on what He can do with it.  And as I walked I gained company.  Not anything human, but still company.

The first to greet me was a Quail.  She apparently was not happy with my invasion of her space, thinking that her little ones were in danger.  She didn’t have to worry, they were not even snack size.  I laughed at her abrupt manner at trying to make me back off. And I kept on walking.  Then a ground squirrel popped up in the middle of the trail, eyeing me.  Most likely she had not seen a human by there in a while either.  She waited till I got close and then went to sound the warning to the other squirrels, before she scuttled down into her hole. 

And I kept walking.  And then I started talking.  To the Lord.  Thanking Him for this place, for the beauty that is there, for the opportunity to escape my prison.  And then a song came to me.  God often does that with me when I am not paying attention. A song will just come into my head, and just run on and on.  I don’t need earbuds, or a radio, or any device, because the Lord is playing it for me. I heard it distinctly, “Joy still comes in the morning, Hope still walks with the hurting, If you're still alive and breathing Praise the Lord!”

Suddenly my eyes were open to really SEE what was going on around me.  My ears were hearing the sounds of life all around me, birds singing, squirrels chirping, a horse neighing in the distance. What I had thought was a deserted trail, was in fact filled with life, showing the greatness of God.  My heart stirred within me as He showed me the beautiful purple flowers and yellow budding mesquite trees.  I knew in my heart He was walking with me, singing a song to me comforting me.  And that was when the finches showed up.

Three tiny little birds, yellow heads, eyes watching me, flew along and would alight along the trail ahead of me. I relished the thought that they were my “trail guides” for the day.  They did not distract me from my thoughts, they confirmed to me that I was not alone.  Yes all three little finches, a ground squirrel and a grumpy quail along the trail were confirmation that God was walking with me, singing a song to me, comforting me.  He was growing flowers for me, and giving me them in full bloom.  He was showing me the love He has for me. In reality, He had been there all the time, even in my isolation at my house, but I was so caught up with Covid-19, my efforts to connect had been nearly futile. 

I thought when I got home, how on earth did I miss it for the past two weeks?  How had I so easily been distracted from the greatest thing, greatest person ever to come into my life?  And I realized this.  It’s not the fault of fake-news, or real news, or what is or is not on TV.  It was my own fault, the fault of not remaining focused on the one who really loves me.

 Go out today.  Find a secluded place, walk with God.  If you don’t know Him, search for Him with all your heart, and you will find a companion for life, who exceeds any expectation you ever had.  Don’t be distracted by all the hype.  Be encouraged by the reality that God loves you and wants a relationship with YOU.