Teckla and I walk a lot. It used to be on the beaches of Oregon. Here it is usually on suburban sidewalks, occasionally on the park trails through scraps of woodland and prairie. In town we walk hand in hand, mostly for the sweetness of it, but also to avoid falling hard if one of us stumbles.
Because we have walked together so long and so much, Teckla and I usually hit a pace that works well. But the other day, I was puzzled and annoyed. Teckla was going slower than usual, and I felt like I was pulling her along. Despite me helpfully pointing out to her that she needed to walk a little faster, she plodded along at the same slow pace.
Perhaps stopping and stretching and then starting again at a faster pace would help, I thought. But no. I still felt as though I was dragging her along, like a teacher pulling a kid down the hall to the principal’s office. None of my exhortations to pick up the pace yielded more speed. Worst of all, my tugging her along made it more likely she would stumble or fall.
It is probably a sign of spiritual immaturity that in times like these I have to ask myself, “What would love do?” But I asked this question, partly of myself and partly of God. Immediately the answer came: “Love walks with.” I immediately slowed to Teckla’s pace, and we had an enjoyable walk.
The phrase “Love walks with” has echoed in my heart for days. I have thought about how it is a key to being a good father—walking with our kids instead running ahead and making them chase after our success and our love. As a father and grandfather, I walked bent over to hold the hand of a toddler carefully matching my steps to his.
I thought how the best husbands and wives walk with their spouses as they struggle to mature and become more like Jesus. There is no exasperated sigh or roll of the eyes, just encouragement and loving presence. (Thank you, Teckla!)
I also thought of the pastors who know their sheep and walk with them. They take time to explain how to get from A to B instead of scolding the people for not being where they should be. Instead of projecting an image of unattainable spirituality, they are transparent and travel the road to maturity with their sheep. As with Teckla, tugging people faster than their pace makes falling more likely. Or pastors just stop holding hands and let the distance grow between them and their flock. I am blessed to have had many pastors who have walked with me.
Most of all, I think of Jesus who laid aside his glory to put on flesh, so he can walk with us. When we fall in love with Jesus, we discover his burden is light and his pace is perfect.
Love walks with.
