Today's Walk was on Monday the 18th.
This morning at 5:30 one team of people left our home and traveled back to Alabama. It was to be an 11 hour trip for them. They blessed our socks off with their attitudes and actions in working on our church! They came on the heels of another team of folks from Burlington, NC who was with us for a whole week! Thanks Ya'll for your sacrifice and especially to you Pastor Rob! Ya'll please come back!
So after they left, I readied my self to push farther up the road than I did before. I was thinking "peace to you..". and greeting folks who were walking at 6:00 in the morning...! There are some Regulars that I meet who make walking an exercise that they do consistently!
I was asking the LORD Jesus to Strengthen my legs and feet. The 18 mile mark that I was able to reach last week was still lingering on in my mind! I am not sure if it's my age or just not ever doing this much walking before. But this day was hot!!! I had put on a t-shirt and a hooded sweat shirt and doubled my water capacity by adding another Camelbak water bladder to the back pack that I carrying. I was carry about 15 pounds of water! I was not aware of it but by the end of this day I would consume over 4 liters of water! After getting home, I weighed myself again and to my amazement I weighed the same thing after 6.5 hours of walking as I did when I woke up this morning! I was as wet as if I had jumped into the Rouge River that runs through Hines Park.
It was hot! 95 degrees hot. For Michigan that is rough heat! It felt alike a sauna outside! The heat index was up over 100. In some ways it reminds me of the 'scorcher hot days' in South Alabama, especially on the practice field down at Auburn as we would go out and practice football! But in reality, I love Michigan Summers. This kind of weather does not last long here and is tolerable! My system is made for the cooler climates! After almost a quarter century of living here that is a fact!
This morning I would pass Mc Donalds on Ford Road just East of Fordson High School. Nature seemed to be calling again so I stopped there for a bit. Then I got on my way again... the same thing happened just about the time I got to WalMart a mile down the road! It was like I was being potty trained! But I dare not... not pay attention! I took care of business and headed out again! Then about half mile up the road on Hines Drive, nature was yelling at me again! 'What in the world!!! I couldn't figure it out! So we took care of business again! Then it was like putting my steps it into overdrive! I took off! But I was not moving as swift as I had felt I was or should have been! But plotted along with a resolve that I was going to reach 20 miles today...!
I was noticing that from the shadows that were being cast on the ground from the rising sun against the trees that were behind me that my shadow looked like my Daddy walking! Yep, Sonny Hancock! That shadow walked just like him! Wow! What a lesson in life! Being like my Daddy! There is a lesson in that somewhere, in fact everywhere! We will come back to this one later!
Today because of the heat, the shade alone brought great relief! Then there were the breezes that would blow from time to time. Now just being under a shade for a brief period of time while walking brought great encouragement and relief from the scorching Sun but when the wind would blow as well and I was under the shade... man, was that ever encouraging, invigorating, rejuvenating, relaxing, refreshing...etc!!! Then I got to thinking about it... There is a lesson there to! "In the shadow of the All Mighty..!." "In the wind of His Spirit!"
"Like a mighty wind...!"
Then there was this special treat just for me. I heard the hum of four very distinct motors coming from behind me and to the right. Not just regular reciprocating engines but radial engines that put out a unique sound! I looked up in the air as the sound got stronger, you could actually feel the percussion of the blades beating the air. I noticed the outline of a B-17 Flying Fortress! It's vertical stabilizer (tail) was painted bright red! It was an awesome sight at about 3,000 AGL (off the deck!)! I really like air planes and that one was something special! Maybe one day I will get to fly one of those things!
This day I was planning on pushing past the 18 mile mark in my practice walk but the heat was draining me today! I only reached to 17 miles and asked Becky to come and pick me up! It was a beautiful site seeing here pull up! When I got into the car it felt like an ice box inside! I could feel my feet sizzling from walking on that 8' wide asphalt track that runs the length of Hines Park! I sat down in that right front seat of our Taurus and thought.... 'Thank you Jesus! ...Becky, you brought me some Gator Aide and a couple of energy bars! I think she likes me, she sure is "purdy!" Oh My!!!'
With my feet on the ground!
Simply Trey
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