This year I'm walking to Memphis…
Sound crazy? Well . . . it's not going to be easy, but it is definitely doable. I realized this when I downloaded a new app for my phone. The Nike + Running App keeps track of my every step with GPS precision. Of course, I am not a runner, I am walker, but the App doesn't know that. It just thinks I'm slow -- and I'm okay with that. The bottom line is that records the distance every day I walk.
That got me thinking. Why not set a goal to "walk to Memphis" this year? It is 1050 miles from our house to Elvis' place. I can do that! Of course, I got this great idea a month-and-a-half into the new year so I have only recorded 61.34 miles on the app.That means I have to walk about 3.2 miles every day -- and I don't walk every day. Still, it is possible. It is just going to take daily diligence and discipline.
Lately, I've been thinking that life is "a long walk to Memphis." I was in the garage on Saturday, cleaning up after one of my shelving systems gave way. It took me hours to get the job done -- but I love the finished product.
Ahhh, satisfaction comes at the end of a long road of hard work. Isn't that the way life usually works? I appreciate what Solomon says:
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. Proverbs 13:11 ESV
Gathering money, like walking to Memphis, like LIFE is a "little by little" affair:
- Saving money ... It's a long walk to Memphis.
- Sharpening a skill ... It's a long walk to Memphis.
- Overcoming an addiction ... It's a long walk to Memphis.
- Growing a stronger marriage ... It's a long walk to Memphis.
- Raising great kids ... It's a long walk to Memphis.
- Finishing a degree ... It's a long walk to Memphis.
- Exercising daily ... It's a long walk to Memphis.
- Building a deeper relationshis with the Lord ... It's a long walk to Memphis.
I think you get the picture.
A couple of days ago I was reading Psalm 137. The Psalmist reminded me twenty-six times that God's "steadfast love endures forever." The journey is long, but God graciously walks with me and empowers me every step of the way.
As I re-read that Psalm, which recounts Israel's deliverance from Egypt, I also realize that the God's people still had to walk -- out past Egypt's borders, across the bed of the Red Sea, and through the wilderness. They still had to fight their enemies. They still had to grapple with their daily challenges. Yes, God is good -- and it is still a long walk to Memphis.
Okay, time for me to hit the road!