First Christian Church of Cushing, OK

Our Little Walk

Unless you've been under a rock for the past couple months, you know that our own Jeff Post and Joyce Abrams planned to walk from Mannford, OK to Cushing, OK.  That's a good 32 to 33 miles.  Why on earth would they do it?  For a really good cause.  This walk was a fundraiser and awareness raiser for Relay For Life.  And a chance for "Disciples for the Cure" to get out there and be seen.  And perhaps most importantly, it was a chance to remember those who have fought cancer.  The walkers had 105 names hand written on their t-shirts.  Those who have passed on, those who are still fighting.  Step-by-step, Seeking a Cure. 

I joined them just the lee side of Oilton, about 11:30a.  The sky was overcast and a great cool breeze was energizing.  Jeff and Joyce had already walked over 16 miles at that point.  But Jeff showed no sign of stopping.  The team was followed by a safety truck with water.  Frequently, team members would hop in the back and ride a mile to rest.  But not Jeff...he just kept walking.  I must say that inspired me too.

The world gets a bit larger when you walk past it at 3 miles per hour.  You see details you overlook at 70.  There's lots of road debris--trash blown out of the back of trucks like cups, gloves and nails.  But you also get the sense that despite it all, everything is right in the world.  Bushes and trees are flowering.  Wildflowers are in bloom.  Grass waves in the breeze and water bubbles.  God made this place and we have only a brief chance to stomp around in His creation.

When we reached highway 33, we met up with more walkers, and traffic began to pick up.  We were greeted on both sides of the road by lots of honking and waving in support.  People naturally understand that a walk like this takes its toll.  It's hard, slow, exhausting, and often painful.  But no one wants to stop.  No one wants to give up.  You push on because they pushed on.  The person whose name is on your back, on your mind, in your heart.  They're the real reason you're out there in the first place.

When we made it into Cushing, the police department had asked us to end our walk at Wal Mart.  It was the end of the line for me.  We were grateful it was done.  Very glad to have done it, and certain we weren't doing it again any time soon.  I hitched a ride home and sat down and started watching the Facebook posts coming in.  The team had slipped over to the football field--the actual endpoint of the journey--without me.  I looked at the photo and didn't see broken, worn out people just ready to drop into a tub and soak.  I saw the same bright energetic smiling faces that started the journey a dozen hours earlier.  It was amazing to see.  Makes me wonder if we won't do this again sometime.

Cheers!
~~Mike