1st Day

Jason and I started our prayer walk around Indianapolis Sunday afternoon.

We set off toward Arsenal Tech. The city can be gritty. You can find yourself surrounded by things that are different than you. Sometimes you see something beautiful.

All spring I have been driving by a yard full of daisies, red and pink poppies and some other blue flowers that I didn't recognize. Since I was walking I had time to linger and enjoy them. I pulled out my camera and realized that my batteries weren't charged! How disappointing. I was wanting to capture the neighborhoods that we spend time in. I was wanting to caputre the city we live in. All of it...

So, Jason and I just prayed as we walked. We prayed for neighbors, for houses, for empty buildings, for Arsenal Tech. We walked down 10th Street to Oriental to Market past School #14. We prayed for Jackie, her friends, and teachers/staff of School #14.

About this time we begin praying for trash. All the trash that has just been thrown on the ground. I think in the last couple of weeks Jason and I have witnessed people just throwing their garbage on the ground and not even attempting to hide the fact. So we prayed for people to notice how their small actions affect others. We also prayed for trash.

About this time we walked by the city jail. A man was walking toward us rolling his suitcase along. Jason and I both had our back packs on so we felt a sense of comrardery. Just as we drew close, the man threw his supersize soda on the grass. It was so obviouse and we were so close. What to do? Do we tell him that it was wrong? Do we pick it up and throw it away? Do we just walk by?

Just before we left our house to start our prayer walk, Brad and Laura Grammer had stopped by to say goodbye. Brad had told us to just enjoy and experience our trip. Just to be.

As Jason and I were struggling to find a response to the obvious litter in front of us I rememberd what Brad had said and told Jason that we just needed to experience this random act of litter being thrown.

We began to think about the man and what may have caused him to discard his litter in that manner. I don't really think there is an answer but for the moment we thought that perhapse his margin was slim and the small act of getting the garbage to the can was to overhwelming.

We continued on our way and contninued to pray.