Along the way...

Yesterday I decided to go for a walk/run...who am I kidding? I knew it would be a walk/walk. It's been a long time since I did any REAL running, but I tied on my running shoes and started out the door. It was a bit frustrating to be walking the route I used to run x 3 on a regular basis, but it is what it is, so I plodded along. I was MUCH slower than when I run, even though I was walking at a fast clip and I actually was a pretty slow runner. I did what I could to keep moving as fast as I could and decided to take the time to "smell" or at least notice the flowers along the way.

That's when I noticed the cup. It was lying there right beside the road. Humfff - how can people just toss their trash like that? Someone should clean up this area. I would, but I don't have anything to carry it in and besides, I've got two miles to walk/run! As I continued along, the flowers were truly beautiful, but I kept on seeing trash. As I neared the end of my route, I spotted a new plastic Walmart bag caught in a bush. I was in luck (or was it simply God getting my attention?) I grabbed the bag and continued on my way. I saw a little trash but decided to "save" my bag for Mt Killamsdonna close to my house where the trash seemed to be the worst. I filled up that bag and then some and had to turn to go home because I simply couldn't hold anymore. Besides, it was hot and I'd already been gone for over half an hour. I posted a picture of my trash on Facebook and got a few "way to go" responses. I said, "Somebody should pick up this mess and since I've always wanted to be a 'Somebody,' I figured it might as well be me."

Today I decided to go out for another early walk since church services  had been canceled (due to uncertainty about what Hurricane Nate would do.) This time I'd go prepared! I took a bag WITH me, stuffed into the pocket of my running shorts. The plan was to pick up at the end of the run again. As I started out, I noted where the trash was worst and made plans to pick up at the end...or maybe a little sooner this time.

As I came to the final couple of turns, I started seeing little scraps. Oh well, they were small and wouldn't really slow me down so I started picking things up. The closer I got to home, the more I started to see. Things that had gone unseen the day before now caught my eye, and I started the process...and the thinking. That's when the random thoughts started.

As I picked up vodka bottles and sonic cups and ziplock bags of something that looked like a piece of old pizza, I thought about the fact that if I'd been running, I'd have never really seen all this - or I'd have been so concerned about my "speed" that I'd never have taken the time to pick it up. Hmmm, seems that getting older and slowing down wasn't such a bad thing. I started thinking, no - I can't do big things, but maybe I can do little things along the way. Just open my eyes and see the opportunities right in front of me. Then, of course, I started thinking about how this applies to other areas of my life. I doubt seriously that anyone will know my name like Cher or Oprah or...okay - there are way too many names to choose from, but you get the idea. I may never be "teacher of the year" or even "teacher of the month" or even "teacher of the last five minutes" but I can make a difference every single day if I just take the time to slow down and notice what, or who is in my path. 

Oh, there are definitely some downsides to this. (I'll let you make any spiritual connections.) My hands get pretty dirty - I sometimes wish I had one of those "picker-upper" things. It can be kind of difficult sometimes - there were some pieces I had to hop the ditch to reach, and the diaper I found IN the ditch almost caused me to become a candidate for America's Funniest Video's (thank heavens no one had a camera!) Then, of course, there is the danger that our garbage men may think I've turned into a chain-smoking alcoholic based on the number of cigarette packs and empty vodka bottles in my trash. He already knows I eat junk food so a few extra sonic cups won't cause any alarm. So what. I know what I'm up to, and if they care to ask, I'll share! Or maybe, just maybe they'll notice things are starting to look a little better in our area. 

So there you have it. No, I'm not running right now (but I hope to get back to it!) I am, however, doing what I can along the way. 

Care to join me? Who knows what little thing that God will place in our path that makes a big difference in the long run. My prayer is "Lord, open my eyes that I may see."

WARNING! Don't watch this video if you don't want to be challenged. Open the eyes of my heart

Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people.