Today as I went for my run...okay, so it turned into more of a walk, but that's not the point....as I was out, I was nearly hit by today's Random Thought.
It is truly a beautiful day and I was just enjoying being outside. My run had turned into a walk, and my mind was wandering who knows where. That's when it happened. As I passed underneath a tree, I heard a huge SPLAT! I whipped around to see what at first appeared to be a huge bird dropping, but as my eyes adjusted to what was in front of me, I realized it was some sort of frog. I've never seen one quite like this...he was the color and pattern of grey tree bark. At first I thought he must be dead, but he started to hop toward the edge of the road in panic...I guess I would have too if I had just fallen from a great height onto my stomach! I stopped long enough to make sure he was all right (not really sure what I would have done if he wasn't....I don't really know froggie CPR), and once he made his way into the leaves, I continued on with my walk.
Things like this always make me stop and wonder if there is a random thought in what just happened. Oh, admit it...if you were nearly hit by a falling frog out of the middle of nowhere, wouldn't you stop and ask yourself if someone was trying to get your attention? So I started to think about that frog. He must have been clinging to a branch above my head for who knows how long, trying desperately to regain his balance, and the next thing he knew he lost his grip and was falling...and hitting the ground HARD. I'd have never noticed him if he hadn't almost hit me...but God saw his every move. Then I got to wondering, how many other things have I missed? I pretty much go through my day in a whirl...are there people around me who are struggling and I don't even notice?
My walk started to take on a different feel now. As I passed the houses, I wondered who lived in them. Were they going through something that made them feel like they were barely hanging on and at any moment they would fall....and that no one was noticing.
Years ago, it was popular to do something called a "prayer walk", especially at schools. The idea was to simply pray for those in an area and whatever they might be facing. So today, I guess I started a "prayer walk" for my neighborhood. As I passed homes I would pray for those inside. If there was a tricycle in the yard, I prayed for wisdom for the parents of the child and for strength in their marriage. If there was a ribbon announcing a new birth, I prayed for that new mom and the sleepless nights she might be having. When I passed a home with signs of an older person living there, I prayed for their health, peace, and for them to have the ability to deal with all that aging brings. I prayed that they have friends.....lots of friends.
I became aware of little things that might give me a clue as to how to pray. Tomato plants? I prayed for a harvest so that the person growing them might not only have enough for themselves, but enough to share with others. For sale sign in the yard? I could pray for not only the sale of the home, but for those who would buy it. I could pray that they would be able to find the finances and that they would become a wonderful part of our neighborhood. Lots of cars? Probably college students - so I prayed for them to have professors who were unafraid to live a life of conviction and speak the Truth into their lives. I prayed for those students to have the courage to take a stand and live a life of purity in every area of their walk. The list goes on and on....I just had to wake up and take notice.
God has called us to pray....not just for ourselves, but for others. I wonder how our world might change if we all did this. As for me, God doesn't have to hit me with a falling frog to get my attention....well, maybe He did...but I don't think I'll ever see my run/walks the same again. Just know that for now, somebody is praying for you....and watch out for those falling frogs.
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