Keeping up?

"Never again on the trip did I feel that I was holding the group back."

By Robert A. Johnson

Ever say to yourself , "They're all so much younger. They're in such good shape. How can I hope to keep up?" Not everyone needs to keep up with everyone else all the time. But what can you do if you get thrust into a situation where you must keep up with those who maintain a much faster pace?

God has provided you with what you need. God is always with you and cares for you. He knows your need even before you ask Him. If He didn't, He wouldn't be the one all-knowing Mind. Need intelligence? God provides that. Need stamina? God provides that. And if you need to learn to love more, God shows you how. God is infinite Love and is constantly pouring out blessings on each one of us.

A friend learned this when she accompanied a group of 37 high-school students on an 8-day trip to France. The first day of bus touring went well, but then they began doing more walking, and she found herself having to climb many steps and hills. She was having trouble keeping up with the group. Even when walking from the hotel to a restaurant, the group always seemed to be going too fast for her. She had retired from teaching several years earlier, and she started to think that she shouldn't have come on this trip because there was too big an age difference.

In her own words, here's what she did to solve the problem. "On the second night, as I prepared for bed, I turned to God in prayer and asked Him to help me see myself as His likeness. I knew that God's likeness was forever free. God's child has no birth, growth, or decay but is always His perfect reflection. As we began touring the next day, I knew I would be walking with God, literally. I sang to myself, 'I walk with Love along the way, / And O, it is a holy day' (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 139). I really felt I was in step with God and knew that He was directing my path. I found myself enjoying the walks. Never again on the trip did I feel that I was holding the group back."

God sustains you and moves you forward. Making God first and foremost in your life prepares the way to receive His blessings. Putting God first includes loving your neighbor. And you love your neighbors best when you understand that they are children of God, too, spiritual and perfect, just as God is spiritual and perfect. Understanding this, you see all those around you in a whole new light—held in God's love, just as you are.

Loving her neighbors—the students—contributed to my friend's healing. One morning after leaving Paris, their bus stopped, and one of the students got out along with several teachers. The boy was feeling very sick. My friend saw this as an opportunity to sit quietly and pray. She says, "I realized God's allness and knew that His child could never be separated from His love and care." The incident was over quickly, and the student enjoyed the rest of the trip. My friend says, "I then realized what my purpose was on this trip. The others needed my prayers just as much as I did. I began including the whole group in my prayers, and the well-being I experienced seemed to be felt by others, as well, throughout the rest of our travels. My thoughts about age difference just melted away. It was such a blessing to be part of this group."

When we keep up by walking with God, everyone benefits.

Prayer reaches everyone, no matter how old—or young. We can do as my friend did. Wherever we are, whatever we're doing, we can pray for those around us. We can understand them to be children of God, held in His surrounding love, just as we are. We can pray to understand God better and to better express His compassion and kindness. In this way we enter into the joy of His kingdom. When we keep up by walking with God, everyone benefits. And this proves how true Isaiah's words are, "[T]hey that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isa. 40:31).

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

IN NEXT WEEK'S SENTINEL

October 2, 2000

Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit