"Panic..........................."

The opportunity was there, this morning, for a walk in the park, my exercise routine lately having changed to a short drive, entering via the main gate, and then adjusting my course in accordance with the temperature, the shade, and the distance in any direction. The soccer field is my best way of putting variety into the routine, each lap taking me about eight minutes and therefore I orbit it in accordance with what else will give me about an hour. Once in motion, though, the whole event is a sort of a “mobile prayer closet”, my mind continually in conversation with Him but with a need to keep catching myself as my thoughts often tend to drift off track. It’s just as true, however, that what’s taking place “upstairs” connects with that river of life “downstairs” and, out of the mouth of the man, flows audible, passionate petition and praise. Sometimes it comes forth in “tongues”, but not always. Today there was, in the beginning, just me and one other old fellow doing nothing more than tossing a ball for his dog to retrieve. About the third time around the track, though, that well arose within me; and, thinking myself alone with God, I just allowed words to spill out for a few minutes, talking with the Creator as if He was, as indeed He was, in each and every stride taken. Then my peripheral vision suddenly made me aware of someone about to overtake me, the grass to the side of the path revealing his silhouette gaining on mine; so I interrupted my speech for him to pass and certainly not wanting to appear like some schizophrenic religious fruitcake loose on the grounds. Too late. His shadow began to drift farther and farther behind me. I could still hear his footsteps, but with increasing evidence of him leaving a little more space between the two of us; and when we passed the small bridge allowing him to exit southward, a glance in that direction informed me of his decision to leave the area. Of course, one never knows nowadays. It is a weird world out there. Maybe I should have hailed him down and offered him a tract…..