Ever since I was a little girl, I have always been drawn to the aroma of coffee. I looked forward to the day that I could share in that warm mug experience with my mother, my friends and eventually my own children. That warm “welcome to your morning” greeting just delighted me. Coffee is a wonderful part of my day and I LOVE meeting for a cup as often as I possibly can.

But, what if we met for a walk, instead of a coffee? 

Something sweet happens when you walk through life alongside another. Something happens when you get outdoors and move your body.

“Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5.

Who wants to go for a walk?

Most of us have convenient access, whether it’s walking a local park, a mountain range nearby, a sidewalk in our neighborhood, an indoor shopping mall or a school track. God’s first language was CREATION. He spoke it into being and has created some of the most beautiful outdoor opportunities for us to get out and enjoy life.

Why should you meet up for a walk instead of the coffee shop?

1. Save money! Coffee (you could also insert tea, smoothies, juices!) can get pricey. Walking is FREE! So, grab your spouse, a girlfriend, a neighbor who needs a listening ear, your four-legged companion or your stroller with your little blessing strapped in. Get outside and do life with someone at your side.

2. Everyone can do it! Whether you are walking on two feet, pushing a stroller, rolling in a wheelchair, or walking on prosthetic legs, no one is excluded! Exercise is great “therapy.” There is no prescription required and no ill side effects to deal with. While there are obvious health benefits to walking, such as increased heart, brain and bone health, and it REVs your metabolism, walking is also a great way to connect…with others, with the Lord, and with your own original design.

3. Walking wakes us up. While I was certainly AWAKE after all the coffee dates, I wasn’t always AWAKENED in my heart, mind, body and soul. Often times, I found them to feel more like an “interview” of asking and responding to the same polite questions…but were we REALLY listening to the answers?

4. Walking also calms us down. Moving our bodies moves thoughts around in our heads. We find that we aren’t the “only one.” (You are never alone). You remember things that you had long forgotten. You work things out, blow-off steam and end up sharing your heart with the people you are walking with, with God, maybe with both? You laugh and you let go of the things you were never meant to carry and you pick up the things that you were intended to.

We all long to be heard, like a parent who just wants their child to listen to them because they have something so good for them to hear. Don’t you think that Jesus, being our GOOD FATHER, does as well?

Our brand new program Songs of Ascent: 21 Days of Walking Prayer is the perfect opportunity to lace up your shoes with a friend and participate together! Meet up and do the walks together a few times a week or simply share with each other what you’re learning! 

Sign up for ANY tax-deductible donation amount! Sign-ups close TOMORROW at 11:59 pm! Sign up for 21 Days of Walking Payer! 

Debbie Stiles resides in the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee. She is wife to Todd, Mom to twin daughters, Madison and Maisie (20) and son Ryan (17). She is a Revelation Wellness instructor (Platoon 22) and a humbled daughter of the King, with a heart to love and serve her community through her work with local non-profits, hiking groups, and meal ministries. “I may wander, but I’m not lost.”