God Walking in our Routine

Where is God to be found in our walking and working each day? The very repetition of our lives deadens us to seeing the Holy all around us. Barbara Brown Taylor says, “Most of us spend so much time thinking about where we have been or where we are supposed to be going that we have a hard time recognizing where we actually are.”

L’Engle notes that as adults we forget to enjoy all the things that fill our days. She warns, “When we lose waking up in the morning as though each day was going to be full of adventure, joys, and dangers…we lose the newborn quality of belief which is so lovely in the child.” Life becomes just one task after another, instead of an adventure filled with glimpses of God.

The Creator of all things says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine…you are precious in my eyes…and I love you...” (Isaiah 43:1-5) Surely the One who calls us beloved wants to meet us in our daily work. It is you and me who get too busy to notice God waiting on the sidelines to play with us. What if we were as open to playing as a boy and his dog?

Sometimes, it is helpful to stop and examine something as routine and simple as walking to help us discover how close God is. As Keble’s hymn says,
New mercies, each returning day,
hover around us while we pray;
new perils past, new sins forgiven,
new thoughts of God, new hopes of heaven.

Brown suggests that one way to find (or be found by) God is to “feel the earth under your feet, as if the ground on which you are standing really is holy ground.” Moses was amazed to see the bush that burned, but was not consumed, so he turned aside from his daily routine of sheep herding. Because he stopped, he met God.(Exodus 3:3)

As Brown points out, walking a labyrinth is one way of being intentional about our walking. You have to pay attention to the twists and turns of the path rather than just marching straight from the edge to center, as our ‘get it done’ enculturation urges. Spiritual practices (like labyrinths) teach us “about being human, about being human with other people, about being human in creation, about being human before God.” (Brown). This is exactly what we are looking for when we try to find God in our routine.

You don’t have to necessarily seek out a labyrinth, although it is a good spiritual exercise if you have one nearby. Simply taking the time to be quiet and focus on walking can help us find God nearby. Brown suggests going barefoot to “feel how the world really feels when you do not strap little tanks on your feet.” Or you can just concentrate on the foot hitting the pavement or grass. Notice the amazing way your muscles work to lift the arch and ankle and how the toes react as you walk.

You don't even have to take a walk. Find a comfortable place to sit outside (on a chair or even better on the ground itself) and just become aware of each amazing thing in the circle around you. Use all your senses to see the wonders of God in that small area. There is a texture to the grass or sand--each blade or grain is different. See how the light makes everything visible and clear. Listen to the sounds you may be too busy to normally hear. Feel the air on your skin. You may want to touch the ground or grass. How long has it been since you played in the dirt? Inhale the fragrance of the grass and flowers. Even dirt has a distinct smell. The inhabitants of the place you are sitting may come out if you are quiet. If you are really adventurous, you might taste the grass. What did you discover in your time of quiet with God and nature?

I try to walk a circuit of a local park a couple of times a week, because it’s the only exercise routine I can ever stick with. I wish I could say that I am conscious of my walking every time, but usually I’m thinking about the last song on the radio or what tasks await at work or home.

This week, on my walks, I will try to be conscious of my feet touching the ground and of my surroundings as I make the circuit. Maybe I will discover, with Madeline L’Engle “We are meant to be real and to see and recognize the real.”

Next week, we’ll explore finding the holy in all we encounter.

* Quotations from Walking on Water, L’Engle and An Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor, unless otherwise noted.