10 Minute Walk
Hello. My name is Hope Moran, and I am a diabetic. My diabetic coach suggested that after every meal I take a 10-minute walk. She said new research has shown that this small act will reduce blood glucose levels.
Was this and interesting tactic or a ploy to get me to walk more? Yes. I can be cynical. 😊 Anyway, I decided that I would begin this the next morning after breakfast. It was a beautiful Saturday morning. As I exited my apartment building, I set the alarm on my watch for 5 minutes which I would reset for my 5-minute walk back home. Not a minute more. 😊
As I began my walk, probably not 30 seconds into it, a man was leaning against his fancy truck wearing quite fashionable clothing. He said: “Ma’am?” “Ma’am?” After walking over to him, he began to talk wondering how to pay his wife’s parking ticket. She received it yesterday at the meter outside my place. He was looking all over the meter for a place to insert the ticket and payment. Telling him that’s not how it works, he said that a police officer was taking care of an accident and maybe he could pay him. Again, I told him that is not how it works, and that payment would have to go to the City of Indianapolis as it stated on the ticket. He told me thanks and went on to talk about how children today are so deprived with their devices and not able to play outside on a beautiful day like today. My timer had gone off long ago. He went on to talk about his grandkids and life today. Finally, he said he was sorry to have to cut me short (smile) and had to get going. I graciously smiled, told him that God blessed me through his conversation, and reset my timer as he drove away.
This time I walked about ½ block when a man sitting on the park bench that has the “Homeless Jesus” statue on it, asked me for money. My response always is that first I needed to know his name and situation. He began to talk, and my timer went off again. After about 20 minutes of hearing his story, I gave him a $15 gift card to Subway which I always carry with me, I told him that God loved him no matter what circumstances he found himself experiencing and reset my timer as he walked over to the restaurant.
This time I almost made it when I ran into my favorite homeless person. It is Jerry and he has a momma cat who had kittens. He has a bike with a child carrier in the back that someone gave him and the cats love riding in the child carrier. This morning the momma was enjoying her freedom walking around by Bru Burger. I stopped to catch up on Jerry’s life, hear about his bout with COVID, find out that there were more kittens at the sleeping house he sleeps at, and learn about his grandmother’s death. My timer went off, and I ignored it. When we were done talking. I let him know that Jesus loves him and his cats. Then, I took a few steps into Starbucks, sat down, and enjoyed my favorite drink before walking uninterrupted all the way back home.
We never know where the Spirit of God will send us, or to whom. We can choose to stick to our agenda, or we can be richly blessed through other people God puts in our paths. In Philippians 2: 4 the Bible says: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Listening to others is huge as we look to the interests in others. Take the time to notice those around you. Get to know them if it is possible. Listen to their stories to find out their interests. There’s nothing better – not even a 10-minute walk after breakfast – which I did eventually get in.