The 10,000 Steps Challenge

Growing up, I did a lot of running; running after almost any kind of sports “ball” you can imagine. I wasn’t the fastest guy on the team but I very well might have been the most determined. If it was on a football field, I ran with one thing in mind . . . get into the end zone. If it was on a basketball court, it was to make sure that the opposing team’s fast break did not end in a layup. If it was on a baseball field, it was to stretch that line drive single into a double. But in recent years, I’ve started walking. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not just a casual walker. I’m just as determined in my walking as I was in my running. I walk with a purpose. I have a route marked off in my neighborhood that is exactly two miles long. I don’t walk just to enjoy the neighborhood or even just to be outdoors. I walk to keep my heart strong and with the hope of the side benefit of losing some weight. I read an interesting statistic the other day. It is from a web site called 10,000 Steps. Most “inactive” people take somewhere around 3,000 steps a day just in their normal everyday routine. That is the equivalent of about one and a half miles. For health reasons, this web site was encouraging everyone to walk 10,000 steps a day or the equivalent of just about five miles. If you did that everyday, seven days a week, you would walk about 1,825 miles per year. If my calculations are correct, that translates into approximately 138,700 miles in an average lifetime or almost five and a half times around the world. Scripture tells us that we should walk through this world with a purpose. Isaiah 30:21 tells us, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Here’s a question for you to think about. In your walk through this world, are you listening for that voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it?” If you determine to take on the 10,000 steps challenge, just remember the promise of the Lord as recorded in Psalm 37:23, “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Next time you’re in town, call me. We’ll go for a walk.