It's A Walking Stick!

My joints have their good days and their bad days, so I’ve begun using a walking stick on my daily outings in Joseph Whidbey State Park. At first I tried using the walking stick that son Brandon had carved for himself during his college years, but its grip didn’t fit my hand and it was just a bit too tall for me. Then Pat reminded me that walking sticks were personal items. He said that I needed to find one that fit my size, needs and personality. That made sense to me, and I realized that I had several good candidates for a walking stick in our garage. I put them all through a trial run at the house and then tossed the winner into the back of my PT Cruiser.

The next evening Pat and I arrived at Joseph Whidbey State Park for our walk. I popped open the car, removed my walking stick with a flourish, and said, “Behold, my new personal walking stick!”
“That’s a mop handle,” he said.
“Not anymore! It is now a walking stick … and isn’t it a pretty bright shade of blue?”
“At least put a rubber tip on it,” he grumbled.
“Don’t need to—it already has a hard plastic tip!”
“Which is threaded—because THAT is a MOP handle!”
“It may have BEGUN life as a mop handle, it may still have the VESTIGES of its life as a mop handle, but that doesn’t matter. It is now my bright blue personal walking stick—although the yellow broom handle was also a strong contender.”

Pat’s reaction to my walking stick reminded me of how difficult it can be for some people to accept—or even allow—change in others. This was especially true in the small town where I grew up, in the small schools where I attended, and even in some of the small churches that I knew. Your family name, your family politics, your family church affiliation would open (or close) doors. The entire family would be “branded” with one identity. Those who had less desirable “brands” usually had to leave the area to overcome local biases … they literally had to escape their hometown in order to change!

I hope that we who have personally experienced God’s transforming power would NEVER be guilty of denying that same power to others … would we? We know that God’s transforming power is available for ALL who will accept it … don’t we? We would be the FIRST to embrace a grace-transformed individual in our family, our congregation or our community… wouldn’t we? Or would we?

In the meantime, if you happen to run into a grouchy “Santa” and his lovely companion on the trails at Joseph Whidbey State Park, be sure to look for her pretty blue walking stick.

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