Upheld In All It Takes Is A Walk

June Is Bustin’ Out All Over

That tune from Rogers and Hammerstein plays through my mind as I walked through Manito Park this week. And who wouldn’t want to stroll by a pond as beautiful as this?

Sometimes a walk is what it takes to refresh body, mind and spirit.

I went to Manito Park to chase the past. I’m writing a series of stories about Spokane’s past—more on that later this summer. On site research is the best way to go.

The sun was bright, the sky a clear blue, the water calm and reflecting—just as its name suggests. Mirror Pond. The duck pond, formerly Mirror Lake.

I walked all the way around the pond and mused about how it once extended all the way to Grand Avenue.

People boated on it, played in it, danced in a pavilion that once stood on a southwest bank with music from bands that played their tunes regularly. I could almost hear the melodies floating over the water.

I imagined 4^th of July with ladies and gentlemen in their colorful dress, parasols, and straw hats in canoes. And nearly smelled hamburgers on the grills.

Quiet Joy

But this week, I just needed to get out and spend some time in God’s beautiful world. I needed to see what was in this park in a new way. I needed time with God.

And He came with me. As I walked around Mirror Lake (I’ve come to think of it this way), the quiet seeped into my soul. The sun warmed me, and I wished I’d left my jacket in the car.

As I walked around to the Lilac Garden and over the stone bridge, joy in His presence grew.

A Walk in the Garden

Before my afternoon was over, I had been through gorgeous gardens and had a sandwich at the famous Park Bench Café. I sat under the trees to eat my lunch and thought that it takes a day like this to restore the soul.

Was this what it was like in the first garden? This lifting of the soul? Gentle breezes that felt like the breath of God.

No wonder God said it was good.

“He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:2-3 NKJV).