The Gift of Walking
Hello, my lovelies! Spring is finally here!
It’s the first week of April, and slowly but surely, my perennials are starting to push their way up through the soil. After a long frigid winter, seeing their return feels like a small miracle.
An invitation to once again find joy in life’s simplest gifts
Spring has a way of reminding us that new beginnings are possible. But inevitably with new growth often comes the emergence of weeds. It's a season of beauty, but also a time to pluck up, uproot, nurture and water. Just like in the weeds in our garden, our lives require uprooting what no longer serves us, while nurturing what we hope will flourish.
As I write this, my husband is outside in the yard doing exactly that: pulling, planting, and preparing the yard. Normally, I would be outside alongside him, but I’m still recovering from my ankle injury. For now, I’m cheering him on from indoors as I write to you and lift you up in prayer.
For the better part of the past two months, I’ve been limping. What I thought was a minor sprain has taken longer to heal than expected. It turns out I also had teeny tiny contusions or fractures along the outer bony part of my foot. If I’m honest, it’s been annoying. This small part of my body seemingly “disrupting” my life, when it’s something I’ve always assumed would “simply work” without effort on my part. It has been deeply humbling.
Isn’t it funny how easily we take things for granted, until we no longer have them?
I hadn’t paused to consider how faithfully my feet have served me and carried me through my life. Step after step, day after day, year after year without pain, restrictions or conscious effort.... they simply worked. I haven’t been able to keep up with daily routine, let alone my gym routine. My body may feel out of shape, but my mind is fixed on Jesus.
Just as I want my perennials to bloom to their full potential this spring, I realized I needed to tend to something within myself to do the same. I had to shift my attitude from annoyance and frustration to gratitude. From focusing on what isn’t working, to honoring what is still working and serving me. From an attitude of entitlement to that of humility and surrender.
I am more grateful than ever for these two feet God has given me. I’m now halfway through physical therapy, and slowly, steadily, strength is returning. My normal stride is improving. My range of motion is expanding. Healing is happening and it has unveiled a deeper understanding of the beauty of life and health.
Gratitude is not something that simply appears, it’s something we cultivate and maintain through practice and prayer. It's like the perennials that need tending to reach their potential. Sometimes, it requires us to uproot the weeds of doubt, fear, anger, disappointment, and dare I say the entitlement and expectations we place on ourselves and the people in our lives. These things, if left unattended, can be the weeds that choke out the beauty that is trying to grow within us.
So today, as spring reminds us of the renewal, I pray that your spirit is renewed as well.
May you have the courage to uproot and release what no longer serves you, and the grace to nurture what does. I pray that you will reach your full God-given potential this season and uncover the purpose He has planted within your life. I trust that, in time, it will bloom in something beautiful.
With grace and gratitude, always
Kay