FROM THE MAGAZINE - A Slow Walk With God

This article originally appeared in She Heard Magazine, Summer 2021. Click HERE to find the Summer issue in our shop. ​

For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” ​Psalm 56:13

I think everybody has heard the reference to life as the dash between our birth and our death. Seemingly, so short when compared to eternity. There is an emphasis on what we do with the time we are given. We were chosen for this exact period in time, placed in circumstances that are to be celebrated or overcome. When it’s all said and done and we are called home, someone spends time reflecting on our life, their interpretation of it, and stands before our friends and family and gives a eulogy, meant to highlight the bright spots and frame the best of us for people to hold onto until we gradually fade from our existence here on Earth.

The summary of the space between our birth and our death only contains the highlights. But so much of that space belongs only to us. The long drives lost in silent thoughts. The questioning, the struggles, the wondering, the regrets, the secret dreams. Well, not only to us, but to us and God. Most of life isn’t flagged for the highlight reel of our eulogies. Most of life is simply a slow walk with God.

think about the people of the Bible. We all know how God used them and what they will forever be known for, but for everything that is written about them, there are thousands of days of their lives that remain unwritten. Most of life is not remarkable. But it’s these unwritten days that challenge us and shape us the most. These days erode our flesh and bare our souls.

Little by little, question by question, prayer by prayer, we try to figure out what our purpose is; whether we are making the right decisions...wondering if we are where God needs us to be?

As Christians we look to the Bible during times of uncertainty. Sometimes it’s frustrating to me because the people in the Bible usually seem so sure of everything. Even in their pain and suffering, they remain devoted and faithful. But I must remember that the Bible features the summary of their stories... the highlights which contain the moral or the lesson we are to remember...long after their lives on Earth.

I sometimes wish the Bible took the time to explore the unwritten days. I think about the book of Ruth, a story of unwavering faithfulness and devotion through uncertain times. The book is so short. To read it, you would think Ruth’s journey back to Bethlehem with Naomi and the time she spent with her before meeting Boaz was mere days. But we know that’s not true. I reread her story the other day and thought about all the days of Ruth’s life not included on the pages. I’m certain there were long days of nothingness, days full of frustration and questions, days spent wondering about God’s plan and her future. What we get in Ruth is a peek into the defining moments, the loss of her husband, her choice to remain with her mother-in-law, a glance of her sister-in-law choosing the easier path, a taste of her struggles in Bethlehem and then the big ending...God’s mercy, love and faithfulness through a man named Boaz who secured Ruth’s name in the lineage of David.

I must remember that Ruth was no different than I am. She had to accept her circumstances and find ways to celebrate the good and overcome the bad. I’m sure she became impatient. There must have been times she wavered and questioned. Surely there were days she got off the path and struggled to find her way back. Ruth was human and that’s what we do.

Finding God’s faithfulness in the midst of our humanness is what fills most of the days of our lives. The long days of waiting, wondering, trying, giving up and trying again, fill all that space in between the highlights. Life is the exploration of God’s faithfulness despite our meandering hearts and feet. And somehow, along the way, with every exhale we take comes the gradual release of uncertainties as we inhale more of Him....seeking Him through every carefully crafted experience He allows in our lives. The long days of nothingness, the changing of seasons, the silence, the questions, the doubt and eventually, after time and tribulations...the revelations come along and God gifts us with a highlight moment.
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​Keep walking with God....slowly, day after day. It’s the slow walk that prepares us for the highlights. It’s the slow walk that helps us appreciate the bigger moments. Each day of life is a gift, an important part of the grander picture. The struggles, the uncertainties, the questions, the wondering all work together to bring us closer to Him. The pushes and the pulls of God’s hands on our lives are present in every single one of our days here on Earth. Embrace the slow walk, know you are human...just like Ruth...and know whether you feel it or not, He is right by your side working all things for your good.

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And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

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Sara L Gleason

Sara L. Gleason is a mom to two amazing kiddos, Max and Hope, the lights of her life. She is a 5th grade ELA and Social Studies teacher in Conneaut, Ohio. Sara writes on her Facebook page MAXIMum HOPE. She found her faith later in life through some of life's toughest circumstances, but is forever grateful for God's goodness, protection, and love. She received her Master’s degree from Liberty University and specialized in Christian writing. Her greatest hope is that by sharing her stories, insight, and God's wisdom, she will somehow make a difference in people's lives through God's grace.