Just a Closer Walk with Thee
- Kristie Chandler
- Apr 11, 2024
- 4 min read
We no longer take walks together.
Reading Matthew 3 during our monthly Women's Bible Study, I was struck how, generally, people no longer take long walks together as Jesus and his followers must have done to get to John the Baptist for Jesus’ baptism. Or anywhere for that matter.
What are we missing by missing these walks?
Before modern transportation, commuting was slow. The Bible talks often of how people walked or rode donkeys or mules from one location to another. Have you ever considered the conversations people must have had that we are not privy to? Talks about family, relationships, struggles, interests, quandaries, faith.
In some ways we are more connected to each other and the world more than we have ever been before. Yet, in many ways, it is only in the form of immediacy, not intimacy. Most of us are too busy rushing from one place to another to connect to others, and we cannot fathom taking our precious time to just sit or walk with someone and get to know them on a deeper level or to simply share stories.
Plugging In
My husband began walking a few months ago. As the weather has turned a bit warmer, I have begun to join him. For him, it’s necessary exercise, a forced way to ensure he is moving more each day and a way to help better manage his health.
For me, it is precious time with him. An opportunity to plug back in and talk to him the way we used to carve out time for when we were dating and would spend hours on the phone before bed each night but rarely now take the time to do. Personal time, away from kids, away from devices, away from distractions.
These walks are opportunities. We share about our childhoods, discuss the current state of our lives, have tough conversations, and laugh. As an added bonus, I’ve learned firsthand how an object in motion stays in motion, so I find it’s easier to push him off the side of the road when he’s already moving when he says something insulting 😉.
Bonding
I’ve started to take these walks with my remote coworkers as well. We decide on a meeting that we don’t need to be glued to our computers for or we agree on a time to walk together and talk on the phone.
We humanize during these times, learning about each other’s passions, interests, geniuses, families. It strengthens our bonds and makes working with them more joyful and trusting. It also makes me more empathic – a hard feat for me many days because empathic awareness is not my natural inclination. This leads to quicker defusing of tense situations, allowance for greater risks on our teams, and promotes a healthier, happier work environment.
In fact, during one of our one-on-one conversations, a colleague recently shared that it was a call I made to her two years ago that made her realized she was valued. I called because she had seemed distant and absent, and I wanted to see how she was doing.
During that conversation, we decided it would be beneficial for our team to create some bonding space together each month, sans our manager, to get to know one another better and work on better defining our strengths, highlighting what makes us feel valued, and to learn how to bring higher radical candor and psychological safety to our workspace. I won’t mask my intentions – I was honestly a bit annoyed at her disappearing act when I chose to make the call, but God nudged me to ensure it was made in love, made with empathy, made with her in mind, not me in mind. Naturally, His purposes far exceeded my purposes.
The conversation was mind-blowing and reminded me that behind every person, behind every action, behind everything that we see through our own lens, there is a story and another frame of reference. Furthermore, it sparked a beautiful time and space with my team that has made us one of the strongest in our company.
Showing Love
One of my favorite Christian song lyrics as a child was “and they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” But how do they know our love? I am going to posit is it not simply because we donate our goods and our time, that we have potlucks, or that we invite them to church.
The song begins, “We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.” How can we be one with someone and not want to know them?
“Jesus said, ‘By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’” (John 13:35).
How does that love grow?
Through our walks with one another.
Through our walks with the Lord.
Today I challenge you.
Take a walk.
Call a friend, family member, colleague, or acquaintance and ask if they would be willing to go on a walk with you. Physically, in person, or on the phone. It doesn't matter.
You never know what you might discover.
God bless,
Kristie
It is not too late to sign up for our Women's Bible Study! We meet twice monthly to walk through life together and study the Word. We would love to see our group of sisters in Christ grow!
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