These past weeks I’ve started a new habit of walking every morning. There is a rhythm to it – the birds, the air, the fall of my footsteps – stepping out each morning, before the kids are out of bed while the temperature and humidity are relatively cooler. (Along the Texas Gulf Coast, the key word here is “relatively.”) Walking at this time syncs with my former morning work commute and coincides with my regular Sirius XM morning radio shows. 

These mornings I’m alone with my thoughts, noticing simple beauty: a random park bench against the green grass, the morning sun climbing through the trees, an abundance of wildlife – squirrels, birds, turtles, even an occasional alligator. In these few weeks, I’ve come to appreciate how truly blessed we are to live in a neighborhood with pockets of green space: a common area with sidewalks circling the forbidden playground, or a creek with gravel trails lined with mature trees and wildlife. Being outdoors, before the neighborhood comes alive, reminds me how much is still going on in this life interrupted. 

Who could have ever predicted … all those years I’ve wished I could have mornings to walk and now it’s here. Not quite the way I expected, but God does have a sense of humor. In the middle of a global pandemic, God can still show us a blessing. For me, it’s in a walk.

What new habits did you form over the past two months? Are these habits something you hope to carry forward with you as the country begins to reopen?