We’re going for a Walk: Our 2018 Adventure!

During the Summer, Tracey and I are planning to walk the West Highland Way which covers 96 miles from Milngavie to Fort William in Scotland.

We have talked about walking the West Highland Way for years since we drove through some of the majestic scenery that the route covers many years ago. For various reasons though (mainly the length of time involved) we haven’t been able to make the time to walk it.

Over the past few months we have been trying to walk the kinds of distances that would be involved each day and we have managed average of 12 miles whilst our children are at school. In more recent weeks we have tried to then do some a shorter distance the following day but unfortunately our girls don’t want to walk 12 miles and so it has been hard to make progress with this. In a month or two’s time we hope to cover  30-40 miles over 3 days in order to see what our progress is.

As well as working towards being able to cover the distance, we have been planning the route and how many days we might try to cover the distance in, where we will stop overnight etc. We are researching what clothing and equipment we will need and also whether to camp or to stay in B&B’s (that decision didn’t take very long to make!)

As Tracey and I look forward to our adventure next year, there is so much to do and to plan. The walks we are having in preparation to walk the West Highland Way are a lot of fun and something we are enjoying together. As we prepare to walk ‘the way’ in a sense we are on the way already.

Before we were known as Christians, Jesus’ disciples were known as ‘followers of the Way’ (Acts 9.2)

There are many analogies in the Bible that compare following Jesus to walking. Jesus said that he is ‘the way’ and in following him we find truth and fulfillment in life. We are also told to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’ and it is wonderful to know that God’s presence travels through life with us. If we look to God to set the pace and to determine our direction then we will know that we are walking in His ways.

Sadly, many Christians give the impression that they believe that following Jesus actually means Him following them. When our faith is built on us only talking with Jesus when we need stuff then we are treating Him as the one who walks behind us picking up the pieces rather than the one who we are committed to following in His way!

How many of us who say we follow Jesus are really actively following him, looking for direction and trying to stay in step with him?

Planning and preparing to walk the West Highland Way is taking up a lot of time and energy. If we don’t put this time, energy and preparation in then the walk will probably be a disaster, that is if it even happens at all.

How much time and energy are we investing in walking with Jesus and joining him in the adventure that he has for us?

I’m excited about walking the West Highland Way but I am much more excited about walking through life each day with Jesus leading and showing me ‘the way’.