Keep Walking

Colossians 3 reinforces the concept of doing what we do in order to please God:
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

The Bible teaches the concept of personal responsibility - every person will stand before God and will be accountable for his or her decision to follow Christ as Savior.  We have a personal calling upon our lives, and God desires for us to follow Him wholeheartedly in fulfilling what He desires to do through us.  We can exhibit a devotion to excellence in all we do, knowing that we are representatives of the Lord Most High.

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Proverbs 6 addresses the issue of personal responsibility.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep--
11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

A young man from Homewood, Alabama recently faced a dilemma - he had just been hired by a moving company and he was assigned to go to a house in Pelham, about 20 miles away, on his first day.

ABCNews.com reported on the unusual first day on the job for Walter Carr.  It states:

After Walter Carr’s car broke down, he was faced with the dilemma of how to get to his job site the next morning -- it was going to be his first day with Bellhops moving company. He decided to leave his house in Homewood at midnight, after sleeping for four hours, and begin the trek to the home of the family he was going to help move.

He was around halfway there when he sat down to rest.  A Pelham police officer stopped to talk with him, and he was soon joined by two other officers - they took Walter to breakfast.  The story continues:

At 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning, another officer, Scott Duffey, brought Carr to the home of Jenny Lamey, where was set to meet his new colleagues and begin helping her family move.

Duffey told Lamey about Carr's trek and asked if he could hang out at the home until the rest of the Bellhops crew arrived.

Carr rejected Jenny's offer of food and a couch to lie down on - no, Walter was ready to get to work.  ABC News reported:

Lamey said she thought about his all-night walk and how he now would lift heavy boxes in the excruciating heat and it blew her away.

"I burst into tears a couple times," she said.

Lamey discovered that Walter would soon receive an Associate's degree and join the Marines; he also related that he and his mother lost their home in New Orleans in Katrina.

Jenny Lamey was certainly touched - and motivated. She contacted the CEO of Bellhops, Luke Marklin, she shared Walter's story on Facebook and even established a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Walter to get his car repaired.

But, that effort to fix the car was all for naught.  Marklin hopped in a Ford Escape and drove from his home in Chattanooga to Pelham.  When he arrived, the Lamey family, Pelham police officers, and Walter's colleagues were all there waiting to have lunch with him.  Marklin presented the keys to the Escape to Walter.

The article says:

"Walter truly raised the bar," Marklin said.

Lamey said her family will be inspired by him whenever they have tough times.

"He’s like the poster boy for no excuses," she said. "He’s just got this deep faith, he wasn’t alone."

Carr said he was so happy that he had touched people with his story and that he was blessed to bless others.

Marklin told ABC: "Walter is incredible, and what he did is incredible," adding, "It’s everything our company stands for."

Franklin Graham caught wind of Walter's story and posted this on Facebook:

Walter turned his moment in the spotlight into a great testimony. He told the media, “I want to thank God because without Him I wouldn’t be here. God blessed me to be a blessing. Whatever challenges God puts in front of me, I know it’s for a reason.” Congratulations Walter—you’ve inspired a lot of people, including me! Your commitment and goals are admirable. I’m sure you’ll do well in your new job, in school, and as you pursue serving in the military. God will continue to use you and direct your steps if you look to Him—that’s a promise in Proverbs 3:5-6!

Along his walk, Walter inspired quite a few people - the Pelham police officers he encountered, the family whom he had been assigned to help move, his new boss and co-workers, and those who learned about his story.  So, we can consider this: who are we inspiring in our walk?  The way we carry ourselves, the way we allow Christ to live through us - these ingredients make for an effective witness for the Lord.

One characteristic of Walter's journey was that he was determined to reach the destination.  He was committed to reaching the goal - when he encountered a rather big obstacle - no car, Walter changed plans and set out on foot.  He did not allow discouragement to keep him from moving forward.  When we have goals or ambitions in life, we can make it an aim to keep walking, to keep pursuing, to keep trusting God and His faithfulness.

Finally, Walter demonstrated the character of a desirable worker.  He showed a devoted work ethic - he almost instantly won over the CEO of his company.  As believers, we can examine the quality of our work product.  We can adopt a "just getting by" attitude or we can reflect a sense of responsibility and pursue excellence in all we do - it shows we are dedicated to doing our work unto the Lord.