I have five dogs, which means I walk a lot. I frequently surpass my 10,000 steps a day goal. With five dogs, you have to break up the dog walks into smaller groups. All of my dogs weigh 50 lbs or more, so walking them all together is not an option. This generally means that I get 3 walks a day. The first two are generally longer walks, between 2 and 3 miles in length. This walk is for our younger dogs, whom I refer to as the littles. The last walk is for our senior dogs, and it is generally a mile to a mile and a half, as they can no longer tolerate the longer treks. Needless to say, I never walk alone.
Usually, when I walk the dogs, I pray. During the first walk, I generally pray the Rosary; the second walk is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and the third walk is just unscripted prayer or general conversation with God. A lot of times, I will say a Hail Mary for a neighbor that I see or stop to talk with on my walks.
But this morning it was different. I didn’t pray on my walk this morning. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to; it was because I couldn’t focus. I was tired, really tired. I turned off my alarm and fell back to sleep this morning. That is something that I rarely do. I usually wake up as soon as it goes off. That doesn’t mean I’m coherent; I am just out of bed.
I was groggy this morning. I was awakened at 5:30 am by a phone call from my husband (he is away for a few days). I was so groggy, I didn’t even realize I had answered the phone. And I vaguely remember our brief conversation. I know he called to hear my voice, as gravelly and unintelligible as it was, and to tell me that he loved me.
An hour later, after a cup of coffee and some time for prayer and reflection, I was ready to tackle the day. I had intended to do a normal walk with the dogs – plural, but they were all asleep in a pile, except for Ruckus, the newest addition to our pack. At 6 months old, he has the energy of 3 dogs. So Ruck and I set out for a 6:30 am walk through the neighborhood. And I didn’t pray.
This morning, we simply walked in silence. I listened to the sound of my footsteps and the cadence they created. I could hear the jingling of Ruck’s collar with his name tag, dog license, and rabies vaccination tag, his gentle panting, and the tapping of his toenails on the concrete. I could make out the songs of various birds – wrens, cardinals, red-winged blackbirds, and the laughter of the crows. In the distance, a woodpecker drummed on a dead tree. I paid attention to the breeze whispering through the trees and the distant hum of cars on the highway. I wrapped myself in the quiet sounds of the day unfolding around me.
And what I realized is that, in and of itself, was a prayer. It was quiet time with God to clear my mind, to refocus, and prepare myself for everything that the day had in store. Prayer is more than rote learning and recitation; prayer is time, prayer is relationship, prayer is slowing down. It is not some box to check off, or some memorized words recited over and over again. Prayer is any time you spend with God, so prayer will and does look like a lot of different things.
And while I typically walk with my dogs and hike with my husband, son, or friends, even when I do these activities by myself, I am never alone. God is always with me. So, I never ever walk alone. So today, go for a walk, take a hike, get outside and be silent with the Lord, feel His presence, and know that you never walk alone. And today, please pray for me, and I will continue to pray for you.
Tattoos, Motorcycles, Beer, Bourbon and Faith 