Walking on Sunshine

“Because you’re mine, I walk the line”.

Johnny Cash

 “Do you like to hike?”

Those five words combine to make one of my favorite phrases in the English language. It’s right up there with:

“Play ball”,

“It is finished”, and 

“Free pizza”.

Hiking or walking is a beloved hobby. I stopped playing basketball and softball long ago. So I enjoy hiking for the physical exercise. Hiking also provides the chance to experience the beauty of nature that my kickboxing gym can’t duplicate. I love to opt outside to quiet and revive my soul along the beach, amongst the redwoods, or up a steep mountain trail. 

Walking is perhaps an individual’s first great achievement. “Is he or she walking yet?” we ask people upon meeting their infant. A child’s first steps are recorded, chronicled, and immortalized in photos and phone calls to grandma. From then on, everything we learn usually requires baby steps. Sometimes what we attempt isn’t always a walk in the park. But usually, and especially as toddlers, we have to learn how to walk before we can run. 

In all walks of life, there are good days and bad days. Particularly at work. Some days are a cakewalk and others feel like we were forced to walk the plank. Occasionally we have to walk on eggshells around grumpy coworkers and walk the tightrope to balance both a career and a family. Hopefully, the boss doesn’t say you’re walking on thin ice. It’s much better if he or she thinks you walk on water. I just wish my class would walk in single file. 

In baseball, we have walk-off homers. And a base-on-balls, or a “walk” is a good thing (for the batter, not the pitcher), but in basketball walking is against Dr. Naismith’s rules. 

Musically, The Bangles taught us how to Walk Like an Egyptian and The Police went Walking on the Moon. Aerosmith told us which way to walk (this way) and Nancy Sinatra had special boots made just for walking. And of course, Johnny Cash made sure he Walked the Line.

Some walks are shorter than others. A walk down memory lane can be quite brief. But it helps to walk a mile in someone’s shoes to really get the whole story. A bad friend can walk all over you. Integrity mandates that we walk tall and walk our talk.  

My first date with Beautiful Karla was a walk on the beach. It followed a few days after she texted, “Do you like to hike?” We’ve been walking together ever since. And today we get to walk down the aisle together. It will be a short walk, upon the soft, emerald lawn of a golf course in Seaside, CA. Harkening back to our first walk, the ocean will be in view. And the majestic eucalyptus trees that spend their lives guarding fairways will join our family and friends to bear witness to our vows and raise sturdy branches in praise to God for bringing us together. 

I know wholeheartedly that without Him, we wouldn’t be taking these steps today. Karla’s humble walk with God was one of the first things that drew me to her. I also know that marriage, though wonderfully joyous, is also extremely hard. So we both will look to him for guidance and help. Marriage must also consist of sacrifice. It’s a life of trying to out-serve the other. My pastor labels this a “race to the bottom.” 

I’m up for this race, but I feel like Karla has already lapped me. It’s a daily race that, like walking, has to be practiced, done step-by-step, and performed faithfully. It’s walking by faith as II Corinthians 5:7 describes. It’s a walk that God will give us the grace and strength to do as we amble hand in hand, down the aisle, along the beach, and up the mountain trails for the rest of our lives together.