Summer—A Great Time to Take a Prayer Walk
Rick Hamlin
Here are some pointers for incorporating the sights and sounds of the season into your God time.
Summer’s here. Time to go for a prayer walk. Savor the marvels of nature as you get in touch with the Creator.
Walk and pray? Yes, indeed, you can do both. Good for the body and the soul. Here are a few pointers.
No talking. Sure, you can talk to God. But no talking to anyone else. This is not a time to take phone calls or talk with a friend. It might be nice to go on that prayer walk with someone else, but no talking. The silence will help you focus on your prayers, and a companion can add to that. Shared silence.
Take a look at what’s around you. If you’re like me, you often take the same route, along familiar paths. No problem. In fact, in some ways that adds to the pleasure because you see and discover new things in the everyday. Small things. That crack in a rock, that dandelion pushing up, those dahlias just ready to burst into bloom. Give God the praise. Nature can be the Lord’s picture book, every image an illustration of God’s presence.
Take a deep breath. Take more than one, take several. God breathed the breath of life in human beings at the beginning. Every breath we take can be a reminder of that. Feel the air move through you and around you.
Stop and stretch. Raise your hands, if you wish. Praise the Lord with every breath. Smell the smells. There are always surprising smells to note. The faint fragrance of a flower or crushed leaves.
Someone barbecuing outside, someone fixing dinner, someone picnicking on the lawn. Without
distractions you’ll discover new smells…and notice what they remind you of. Eucalyptus leaves always take me back to a park of my childhood. God is in the air.
Listen to the Creation. The sound of the wind blowing through the trees, the birds chirping in the air, a jet
passing overhead, a family station wagon driving by, distant music on the radio, your footsteps in the dirt o on the sidewalk as you walk. You might even want to hum or sing a hymn or praise song as you walk. It’s God’s music.
Remember others in prayer. In your solitude you will think of friends and family members who need your
prayers. Remember their situations. Imagine them being there with you. Just because you’re alone doesn’t mean you’re truly alone. They’re with you as is God. The rhythm of your walk will help you keep them in your prayers.
Come back. You will return to your home with renewed energy and strength, the worries of the moment
released. I live in a huge teeming city, and when I go out, there will be people passing me on my way to the park. I smile, I wave, sometimes I stop and chat. But then I move on. It’s my God time. Walking in prayer.
Our New Instagram Account
We’re pleased to share that Graceview now has an official Instagram account! It will be maintained
by Rachael Chen and will focus especially on updates and outreach related to our new Young Adults Group.
We invite you all to follow our IG account.
Here is the link:
https://www.instagram.com/graceview.presbyterian?igsh=MnlpeXE5YTYyN2ly
Egg Cartons Wanted
St. James Food Basket is once again in need of egg cartons, at least for the summer months.
Please leave them in the cloakroom at Graceview and they will be taken to St. James. Thank you for your help.
What does it feel like to be old?
Thank you, Carol Thomas for passing this along
Someone asked me that once, and I didn’t really know how to answer.
Not because I was offended, just surprised.
I don’t wake up every day thinking, “I’m old.”
I just wake up, stretch, and get on with it.
Lemonade will now be served (self-served that is) after worship during June, July
and August. Please join us in the Adamson Lounge for a refreshing glass of
lemonade and some cookies.
But later, when I sat with the question, I realized something:
Getting older isn’t something I fear.
It’s something I’m learning to appreciate.
I’m not in a rush anymore.
I don’t worry about keeping up with everything and everyone.
Some days I get things done. Some days I don’t.
Either way, life moves on.
I’ve stopped trying to fix things that don’t matter.
I’ve learned that silence is an answer.
That peace is more important than being right.
And that some people will never understand you, and that’s okay.
There are things I’ve lost along the way… people, moments, parts of myself.
And yes, some of that still hurts.
But I also carry more love than I used to.
More patience. More softness.
More understanding of what really matters.
I no longer pretend to be fine when I’m not.
I don’t explain myself as much.
And I don’t waste time worrying about what people think of me.
If I want to sit and watch the sky for an hour, I will.
If I want to cry over an old memory, I won’t stop myself.
If I want to laugh at something silly, I’ll let myself.
Because I’ve learned that time doesn’t slow down.
And joy doesn’t wait for permission.
So, if you ask me what it feels like to be old…
I’d say it feels like freedom.
The kind that comes with letting go of things you used to hold too tightly.
I don’t know how much time I have left, none of us do.
But I’m not wasting what’s left of mine chasing perfection.
I just want to live quietly, honestly, and in my own way.
And if that’s what being old feels like…
I’ll take it.
PRAYER REQUESTS AND PASTORAL CARE
- Pray for the people of war-torn countries who are living in fear and uncertainty. Pray for those close to
home who need your special love and guidance during trying times. - Ethel Waite as she deals with sciatic pain. Pray for her health and recovery.
- Please keep in your prayers the following:
Norma Hendershot, the family of Margaret MacLauchlan, Chris Parr, Jean Fox, Eftekhar
(grandmother of Ali), Earl Nixon, Lynne Bishop, Joan Pateman, Debbie Homebrooke and family, Margaret
Munene’s brother Simon, Lenore Carty, Shelia Thomas’ grandson, Carter, the Jarvis family, Olive S., Roman P.,
Ed. L., and Jean Fox’s nephew, Ryan.
Please keep these folks, and indeed, everyone in our church family and people around the world,
in your prayers.
Note from your editor…could you please advise me from time to time on the status of your loved ones so
that updates can be recorded and shared to prove that the power of prayer does work miracles.