I love a good walk. Especially now that fall weather is here, I’ve been loving getting outside,
breathing in the crisp air, having a good conversation with someone, or just taking in nature and
a few moments alone.
A walk is usually at a slower pace. Sometimes you stop on your walk to notice something, or to
talk with a friend or someone you see along the way. Sometimes you trip over something on the
ground (and by you, I mean me). Sometimes you walk at the same pace as someone,
sometimes you pass someone, sometimes they pass you. Sometimes your walk is in a
beautiful, scenic place, other times it’s just around your neighborhood. Sometimes you get lost
on your walk or take a wrong turn. Sometimes you walk in familiar places where you’ve walked
many times before, others you’re in a new or unfamiliar place.
Lately, God has been teaching me that this season of life I’m currently finding myself in is a
walk. And that’s a good thing. This entire year has felt very “in-process” to me as I continue to
transition to full-time adulting and learn how to navigate life post-grad with new jobs,
responsibilities, friendships and maintaining community, and decisions with big implications. At
times, rather than a walk, it has felt more like a race or climb with lots of hurdles to get over in
order to reach some unknown finish line where I’ll suddenly feel like I have it all together. I’ve
been impatient with myself in areas where I am still learning or experiencing things for the first
time, and haven’t extended myself the same grace and permission that God offers to me to be
“in-process.”
I like thinking about Jesus taking walks, especially with his disciples. He both quite literally and
figuratively walked with them on their physical and spiritual journeys. We see the disciples
“in-process” as they are taken into apprenticeship under Jesus and learn what it means to be a
follower of him. We see their mistakes, their questions, their growth, and the constant,
consistent grace and patience that Jesus gives them through it all. Jesus gives us the same call
to apprenticeship under him as the disciples, and offers the same compassionate grace as we
stumble, trip, fall, and get back up again in our walk down this road of life with him. What a gift it
is to be in-process under our Maker! To learn from him, be shaped by him, guided by him, and
forgiven by him. To let our everyday ordinary moments be saturated by his grace and not held to
a certain timeline.
As I was considering what it means to be patient with yourself, I was reminded that patience is a
fruit of the Spirit. We often think about growing in our patience with others, which is of course
necessary and good, but what about also growing in our patience with ourselves? Galatians 5
wraps up the section on the fruits of the Spirit with this: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep
in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25). Let us grow in our patience with ourselves by walking in
step with the Spirit, keeping close to the side of our Savior…so that our ears are attuned to his
continuous reminders to each of us personally of our identity as image-bearers of Christ who
are already beloved, chosen, and whose names are already written in heaven. So that our
minds are set above on the assurance that God has fulfilled the standard of perfection that he
calls us to through Jesus, for us. So that we have a heart at peace even when life isn’t settled or
when we aren’t settled with ourselves.
Walking is also something that we all had to learn how to do. We were designed to have to learn
how to walk. Like many other skills and abilities, walking is something that came with time,
development and growth, and practice (and maybe a couple bumps and bruises). We have
patience with our littles as they start exploring their world around them and continue to help
them up after they inevitably tumble over once again. And I think that’s a pretty cool way to think
about how God looks at us. God’s patience with us gives us permission to be patient with
ourselves as we grow, learn, explore, and tumble over once again.
So, if you’re feeling a little impatient with yourself or where you’re at in life currently, just keep
walking - you’ve got your best friend next to you, and he isn’t in a hurry :)
Emily Gorski