As the weather brightens up in Ohio, we begin to get outdoors more. One simple way to enjoy fresh air, exercise and nature is by walking. It’s funny that I often hear people say, ‘I don’t exercise, but I walk.’ Walking is one of the best exercises we can do! Our bodies are naturally designed to do it, it is low impact and it can get us outdoors.

In fitness, walking is known as a nervous system rest and reset as walking calms us down and warms us up for other activities. On its own, walking is a powerful way to maintain good posture, lengthen and strengthen muscles and it can be easily paired with socializing or prayer. or both. We often don’t appreciate the gift of walking until we have a physical reason why we can’t do it.

In our spiritual lives, walking is important as we walk with God to pray and praise Him, and to grow in faith, hope and love. Lent is such a powerful time to explore walking with God in new and different ways — with Lenten reflections and music, praying the Stations of the Cross, perhaps spending more time in private prayer and serving others.

In prayerful meditation, I often picture myself walking and talking with Jesus. I’m someone who likes to move and be active, so it makes sense that when I’m pondering what He is saying to me in scripture, or I’m talking to Jesus about events in my life, I visualize us walking side by side.

In scripture, and in my imagination I connect with Jesus most often in outdoor setting as He is teaching, preaching, healing, praying and being with the apostles. Speaking to Jesus as a friend, and walking through this life with Him is a peaceful and hopeful image to me. I’m grateful that we also have the angels and saints walking with us — an insurmountable army of loving support — may we call on them often for their assistance.

On our spiritual journey, and on this journey of earthly life, we are also walking with others in the Body of Christ. Sometimes we are walking side-by-side at the same point on our journey, other times we are called to lead, and still at other times, people are leading us. It is important to walk with our brothers and sisters in Christ as we strengthen and inspire each other. It’s hard to do it alone! I heard a pastor say that we are called to minister and pray in groups of two because being with another person of faith makes us braver.

Whenever I hear someone say they don’t have any close Christian or Catholic friends to walk with them on their faith journey, my heart aches for them. Maybe I need to bring them into my fold of my life and I’m open to it. Years ago I remember praying to God for the same thing, ‘Lord, send me true spiritual friends to walk with me on this Christian journey of life.’ Our desire is for authentic connections with others who love the Lord and who are seeking to grow in holiness is a powerful longing of the heart.

St. Maximillian Kolbe said, “God sends us friends to be our firm support in the whirlpool of struggle. In the company of friends, we will find strength to attain our sublime ideal.”

We can consider walking through scripture to grow in faith and understanding of God. We can walk with the saints with whom we have a special connection. Walking with someone God has placed in our lives for a specific reason, perhaps for a short time, to lend a special grace of love and support during an illness or a trial is a gift. Thanks be to God for the variety of ways we can walk with Him and others.

There are many scripture passages that refer to walking in some manner, and I challenge you to search and pray with them if you feel called. I share this hopeful message from Leviticus 26:12, “I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be my people.”