After this past weekend and taking Sunday 'off', I resumed my preparation for getting in shape for Trey's Trek that is to begin Monday, September 5th, 2011 on Labor Day.
My original thought was to commence the Trek 20 days before the 5th of September so we could end the Event walking across the Mackinaw Bridge with literally "Thousands" of others but Becky said that I would melt in the heat walking through Michigan in August so the start date was shifted abit!
So now its Day 5 of purposefully getting in shape for the walk to Mackinaw. I have been increasing my miles gradually and this day I actually got up to 13 miles. I figured that I am consistently covering about 3 miles in an hour but this Trek is not 'a sprint'... it is a walk and getting there is more important than seeing how fast we can do it! I think that the story of the Tortoise and the Hare apply here! (that is a "Turtle" and a "Rabbit"- for all of you who don't like old Literature)
Anyway, I left the house right at 7:00AM. I was thinking on walking over to the University of Michigan, Dearborn and then back home. I was going to make a big loop and come back via Michigan Avenue.
It was a fine morning. The temperature was about 70 degrees! It was a bit overcast and there was a light breeze blowing! It was almost a perfect morning for walking. So when I was coming down Greenfield toward Ford Road where I was to turn West and go toward the School, I noticed something that I had never seen before! Ford Road looked like what I see... when I get lined up on the end of the runway in the Cessna that I fly and get set to take off! Usually this road is one of the busiest streets in our Town... and there was not a car coming by! I had never seen anything like that! Especially here! For just a minute, I thought something was wrong! "Had the Rapture taken place" LOL! "No! you numbskull! It is the 4th of July! And it's 8:00 o' clock in the morning in an Arab Neighborhood!" What's wrong with you! Pay attention!
Ohhhhhhh! It was a nice thought! Folks are relaxing! Chillin'! The rest of my walk was without traffic and very quiet! Amazing! I have lived here 23 plus years have never seen my town like this... not even in the middle of the night!
So, on my walk this day I meditated again on the passage of Scripture that says..."I will walk with you and be your GOD". Thinking about this in reference to slaves coming out of Egypt, the thought occurred to me that this means that HE will not only deliver us from Slavery but HE will 'walk' with us in the actual 'Exodus'! Amazing! This is why HE is an "ever present help in the time of need!" That fires me up, knowing that the words of Scripture are more than representing an idea but Scripture is mirroring reality! That Book is powerful and communicates Truth like a laser! Like Mr. Seitz, who is the most awesome 5th Grade Teacher in the Dearborn Public Schools, ever... who taught at McDonald Elementary School in Dearborn used to say! "WORDS HAVE MEANING!" Mr. Seitz... you are so right!
In regards to 'God walking with you...' I have had people tell me "God is with everyone!". Granted! But as the example of God in the process of the Exodus shows...HE was with Israel, engaged intimately in the process of 'Deliverance' with them and also HE was with the Egyptian Army in the Process of judgement, carry out the tenants of that judgement because of the hardness of their hearts! Now like Joshua said... "Choose you this day whom you will serve!". Now the choice is yours! Be careful! Be watchful, be vigilant in life. This ain't a game!
While I walked along, I kept thinking about that snake that I encountered just a few days before. The real life example in the encounter with that snake and keeping my eyes open, scanning for snakes is a living example of being "vigilant;" not letting down my guard while trekking on the way.
Snakes can be dangerous! And if I don't know which ones to let live and which ones to kill or I get confused as to which one is poisonous and which one is not...I am in trouble! I need to keep my distance until I'm sure... for me, its the best policy! Then when I am sure about the threat; I take action! If it is poisonous then I will do my best to kill it if I can! Because if I leave it, it will more than likely strike at someone else. "That ain't good!" Now you know, I am not talking about real snakes although real snakes can be deadly and I do deal with them seriously but... I am referring to sin! In regards to sin, I am to be vigilant! 'Don't get bit,' I tell myself... and stay out of areas where I can possibly get bit! And if I know that, 'that one' is poisonous... I either avoid it at all costs or kill it quickly! These are the types of things that cross my mind as I have been walking along! It's real life stuff! Reality! Jesus is reality! Outside of HIM there ain't much!
Then the example of Adam cames to mind...In his situation not being vigilant about the snake (temptation!) costed him dearly and as a result affects us. Lord help me not be 'knuckle headed' when it comes to sin or snakes! There is much to think on here!
Then the old Hymn..."And he WALKS with me and He talks with me... came to mind!
After walking on the back side of Uof M Dearborn near Henry Ford Estate I crossed the Rouge River via a new bridge and started toward Michigan Ave. While I was walking on Michigan Avenue, headed back toward the house, I picked up a brand new quarter that was laying in the grass on the side of the road! The light from the Sun was shinning on it and I reached down and picked it up! Then about 150 feet up the road there was about half a dozen cans that were discarded from the night before while folks were watching fireworks! So I put the coin in my pocket, stuffed the cans in my backpack and headed to the Kroger to redeem the cans and put the money in the building! The Lord provides! Every little bit helps!
Then crossing over Southfield Freeway, I walked in front of Ford World Headquarters and across Mercury drive. There on the grass right at the Comerica Bank sign at the exit drive for the bank was a small sparrow that was just sitting there on the ground under the shade of the shrub. The sparrow seemed to wait until I was almost on top of him before he just hopped a bit farther under the shade of the bush! He didn't seem afraid of cautious like most birds are in our area. He was just there! Then I started to sing to myself... "His eye is on the sparrow and I know HE watches me! This one I could definately hear Ethel Waters singing! the Scripture says that 'The LORD sees the sparrow...' so I began to sing... "I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm FREE... FREE! I said Free! Wow! Like Jacob's Children coming out of Egypt! They all walked! I am walking just like them! Lord... Help me understand how important walking in the Spirit is! Help me understand what Freedom means when you walk away from your slavery and the vigilent maintaining of that Freedom, which is essential in keeping you liberated in heart, mind and soul!. Let me understand how essential that Freedom is to life in general and specifically in Jesus! I have the distinct sense that 'Happiness' is related to 'Freedom' What do you think? Man..., what can we learn about life from that event in history! History rocks! Especially when The LORD of the Universe is personally involved! 'Alleluia! Just a thought!
Then right at Michigan Avenue and Greenfield a man named "Troy" (I think he told me) who had passed me earlier (while I was writing a note about the sparrow) waited on me to walk up to him, right at Attorney "John L. McWilliams" office building. When I got close enough to him I greeted him and he asked me if, "...I needed some snow for those things". (talking about my walking sticks) We talked a bit and he asked me what I was doing this for. So I told him about our church and where it was and he seemed to be amazed! Then he put his hands in his pockets and said... I will give you some money but I don't have any right now. Then he asked me if I walked that way on a regular basis and said that he would look for me. He said that he knew were our building was and would come down to visit! 'I will give you some money for your church', he says. "You will see me again!"
So I crossed to road and went into Kroger and redeemed the bottles and got the coins for the building project and headed on toward the house. The rest of the trip today was uneventful! But I am building my stamina and endurance in my legs.
I hope by the time "Trey's Trek" beings on September 5th, 2011 I will have walked at least the equilivant distance of what we will cover in total... from Dearborn to Mackinaw during the actual Trek. The distance from here to there is from 275 to 300 miles depending on which route we take! I am working at getting my legs into shape along with my heart and my mind "ready," so that what we do here honors Jesus!
Pray for me!
Simply Trey
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