Transportation is a Privilege

When I moved to the community where my new church is located, I was lucky enough to find a home close enough for me to walk to and from my place of worship & work. This is both a good motivator for me to walk when the weather is nice, and a source of privilege that I can drive that half mile when the weather is less than nice.

Several weeks ago, I checked the weather as I usually do in the morning and decided it would be a good day to wear sandals into work, and only a lightweight sweater over my shirt.  It was going to be mostly sunny all day and I would spend most of my time inside besides.

The weather report was wrong, and later as I was working remotely from church in a local coffee shop, it started to rain heavily.  I tried to wait it out to no avail. By the time I made it home that evening, I had damp shoulders and soaking toes.

It was uncomfortable for me, but by the time I got home, only an inconvenience.  I could take my shoes off, dry my feet, and have warm socks on within minutes. I am reminded, however, that this is a privilege, just as it was a privilege a few hours later to retrace my steps back to church for worship in my car rather than walk in the continual rain.

While living in Manchester 2015/2016, someone giving me a ride on a rainy day was an absolute blessing; most of the time, I would arrive slightly damp wherever it was I was headed. It was an expense and a treat if I decided to take the bus (and I would make sure to use my pass as much as possible to get my 4 pounds worth of a ticket).  I have fond memories of peddling through a far deeper than expected puddle near a park, and the funny look I got from a priest when caught drying my socks on the radiator in our office.

I give thanks for my ability to walk, ride, or drive wherever I need to go whenever I need to go. And I appreciate every opportunity I am afforded to pay forward giving a kind ride to someone else.
 

23 minutes/1.2 miles

One of the parks I walk by daily while the sun was setting

I walk a whole ton here in Manchester.  I walk to and from work (most days), which is about 23 minutes/1.2 miles one way.  Mostly along major roads, by a few parks, university halls, a Turkish Grocery, and several strips of little shops.

It's a beautiful walk in the sunshine, rain, when the leaves were bright and green when I first arrived, and now as they change with the season and fall.

I like my walk but sometimes it gets a little monotonous.  The same road, the same trees, the same pavement.  Even some of the same crazy drivers who whiz by me (Thank goodness there are bike lanes for when I ride the bike the church is letting me borrow for the year!).

Walking around the Parish one day, I found
this gem of a sign that reads:
NO FLY TIPPING RUBBISH DUMPING
Translation: Don't throw your trash on our lawn

Because of this 23 minutes of alone time I have twice a day, I have been trying to find ways to use it ‘productively’.

It was almost funny at first when I realized that I was feeling frustrated with time I thought I was wasting walking.  Why was it wasteful?  Walking is good for your health, and it wasn’t as though I never had enough time to get wherever I needed to go while walking.  So punctuality wasn’t my issue.

Was I bored from watching and listening to the cars whiz by?  I tried walking through the parks while it was light enough out instead of along the road, which was gorgeous, but didn’t address the deeper question.  It served to distract me from it.

Sometimes I listen to music, or a podcast while I walk.  That helps to keep me busy, and is usually pretty enjoyable, but this is only something to do during the daytime, and I still am very vigilant of who is around me.

What I began to do which has become a ritual several times a week now, is to use that time to pray.

The road I live down just after a big rain

Some of us (myself included) might be thinking at this point that this was the obvious answer all along, and I’ll say well of course it was.  In fact, it was something I started doing my second week of service at church.  But it still didn’t detract from the feeling of frustration some days.

It is something I’m working on, though.  Prayer is so important, and sometimes I have a focus of people I am praying for (in my first few weeks here I prayed for each country program, alumni, and other supporters of YAGM), and other times I just talk with whoever in the Holy Trinity is listening about what is weighing on my heart today.

 
I’m getting more comfortable with the idea that I have a 23 minutes/1.2 mile walk to and from church each day.  It means that when I need to, or want to, or am called to, I have time and space to pray.  We can do a lot with 23 minutes, but I think I’ve found a way to make the most of it so far.