Each Step (Beautiful Walk)

When Scot decided to take our older three children to the movies yesterday, I decided to take Big Mac on a walk at a local park just near our house.  It was a beautiful afternoon; in fact, it was simply gorgeous.  Big Mac had been sick for several days; and I wanted to grab the opportunity to get out of the house, get some fresh air, and to spend some much needed alone time with him. 

I really wanted to jump at the opportunity to spend alone time with him after he gave us quite a scare last week.  He had suffered a Febrile seizure. (A seizure brought on by rapid temperature change, such as a fever as in Big Mac's case.)  Now I know that it can happen y'all, but when you see your own baby/child suffering from one it is a whole other story!  Watching him not being able to breath while convulsing with his eyes fixed and glazed, as his mouth was also fixed slightly open, was totally scary!  His skin color also changed to an awful grey color while his lips turned bluish purple before it was all said and done.  I can't even begin to describe the sound he was making during it.  And after the seizure was all said and done, there was another awful grunting, growling noise that came from him while he laid virtually limp and lifeless for about 15 minutes, with his eyes still fixed open.  Horrible it was, but thankful he is okay.  He went by ambulance to be checked out and observed for a bit as well as to continue to ensure that his high fever, which had gotten up to 105 degrees, came back down.

With that all said, I just wanted to bond with him--just the two of us on a beautiful walk. 

As we did, he was having such a pleasant time in his stroller.  He just cooed and made such sweet baby sounds as he observed our surroundings.  The sun glistened through the trees, birds were chirping and children were playing and so much more.  People made comments about how happy Big Mac was just sitting in his stroller.  He surely was happy!  Little did people know how sick he was just a few days prior.  So as I walked, I just thanked the Lord that Big Mac was healthy and strong.

As we walked, we saw a variety of people; from many walks of life.  With each step I took, I became more and more aware of the people around us.  We came up on this one area--peaceful and tranquil.  It was a dock that looked over a little pond.  I wanted to show Big Mac the turtles so I lifted him up out of his stroller.  I started to get a better look at the two individuals sitting just near us on two separate benches.  One was a grey haired lady looking sad and lonely.  I could tell that she had been in deep thought as I could see that she had what appeared to be a journal in her hands.  She looked up at us blankly almost with some sadness in her eyes.  To the left of her was a young man who looked warn and haggard for his age.  His facial hair was long and he had a cigarette to his lips.  He had two books with him as well.  I made our visit with the turtles brief as I wanted to respect the time of reflection for both individuals. 

As we left, I took another glance at the young man who looked like he had lived life well beyond his young years.  He looked low and stressed.  As we moved passed, I noticed part of the title of the book on his lap.  It read "Learning to Let Go."  Right then my heart went out to him.  Back in the day, I would have just been annoyed with his second hand smoke, and wondered if he was a bum; however, something has changed with in me.  I began to pray for him and the older lady who sat just near by.  I prayed for their hearts and their sadness.  I knew that God knew their full story.  With each step I took, I prayed.  I prayed for the sick and the broken hearted.  Prayed for the grieving.  I prayed.

You see over the last several months, I have realized that we all have our own stories to tell.  We have our own trials and heartaches.  We are who we are today because of where we have been.  Just because my heart doesn't necessarily break one day, doesn't mean that someone else's is not.  Perhaps I have become more empathetic.  Over the last couple of years, especially with in the last six months, I have been made aware of so many people in need of prayer and compassion.  I have also been made aware that everyone grieves and feels differently, and thus, reacts to life triggers differently, which is okay.  They are entitled to do so...  Take a step out of your shoes for a moment and pray for others.  Even those you don't know. 

I think that is the beauty of our Christian faith--prayer and compassion, for the needy, the sick, and brokenhearted even to the ones we don't know.