There is a man who lives in our old neighborhood who we like to call "Walking Man". We pass by the old neighborhood every day on our way to school, and everyday he is there on the main road, walking. We worry if we don’t see him – he is that consistent. On occasion we see him other places that surprise us – over by the library (about 2 miles away), near the Middle School (about 4 miles away), at the harbor (about 6 miles) – we always beep our horn and he always smiles (the biggest smile you’ve ever seen) and waves his cane. He always seems so happy to see us, so glad we said hello.

Walking man is about 40. He suffered a severe stroke (not sure how long ago) and lives with his mother in the village. He was not given a good prognosis – his speech and his motor skills are extremely labored. He was told he’d never walk again – but he is determined. He concentrates on every step – and in fact spends his entire day walking, every step a miracle. He used to walk around our neighborhood and visit us as we washed our car or worked on the front garden. In his old life, he used to be a concrete worker and has spoken at length with my husband who is a plumbing contractor. He talks shop in the manner that old soldiers sometimes talk about their military experience. He is a handsome man, with classic Spanish features and a well groomed goatee.

Every time we see him, we pray for him. "God Bless Walking Man. Heal him. Make him well again." We’ve said that prayer for at least 2 years, and for 2 years Walking Man keeps trudging along. I have been impatient with God more than once on this matter – "couldn’t you just make it a little easier for him?" I ask. He hasn’t seemed to get any better in a long time. I think about our prayer – "Heal him. Make him well." The fact of the matter is that Walking Man is about as good as people get. How much better can he be? It has occurred to me more than once that maybe the stroke is what healed Walking Man to begin with. I wonder if he ever would have stopped at our house if not for his stroke. Would we ever have spoken to him? I don’t know where he was before, what he was like – but now, I know he is the man that blesses everyone who will take the time to meet him. He glorifies God with every step he takes. He lets you know that if not for God, he wouldn’t be taking one step. And in that, he reminds us that if not for God, we wouldn’t be taking one step, either. We tend to forget that part.

++Thank you Lord – Thank you for every step I take. Thank you for my neighbors and the street where I live. Thank you for my breath which is not labored, and my eyes which can still see the beauty of this wonderful world. Thank you for Walking Man. May I be as deliberate and unwavering in my daily walk as he is.