Would you swap places with a Red-tailed Hawk just for a brief moment?

Today, when I began my routine two mile walk, I felt greatly encumbered by left knee soreness and lower back pain and tightness. In addition, the low lying fog served to remind me that I am no longer the man of vigor that I used to be. For this reason, I decided to proceed with a little extra caution, making sure not to exert myself any more than absolutely necessary.

The 1st mile was a bit of a struggle, worse than usual, and I actually considered quitting. The only reason that I did not is because I'm old enough to know full well that giving up can turn into a really bad habit and I don't want that behavior to start creeping into my daily practices at this particular stage in my life.

Subsequently, I decided to shift my attention away from myself and to place it on the hope that today I would see the red-tailed hawk that occupies the forest area next to the High School Campus where I walk every day in New Jersey and do my routine workout with resistance bands at least three times a week. There's been an inexplainable feeling that always comes alive in me whenever I see the beautiful red-tailed hawk.

Sure enough a sighting occurred. My child-like response was to persistently and annoyingly whistle in the hawk's direction until it finally actually looked at me. Somewhat hesitantly, I decided to raise an outstretched right arm to offer the hawk a possible perch. Even though I've done this before, something tells me that it may not be a good idea absent a heavy cloth or leather covering wrapped around my arm. I do not want my arm to be badly mistaken for an over sized chicken tender in these feeble attempts to build a charming new friendship with the red-tailed hawk. My next action, was to try and remain completely still while admiringly gazing at the hawk for a moment or two before slowly resuming my walking. I was really overjoyed that once again, I got to see this terrific creature.?

Shortly after I began the 2nd mile of today's walk, the red-tailed hawk quite surprisingly flew directly over me. As a matter of fact, it was so low to the ground that I immediately felt its presence. All of a sudden, I could barely contain my excitement, and I wanted so much to become caught up in its very flow and flight as it continued traveling over a nearby pond and then gradually ascended upward, higher and higher to the top of a very tall tree.

It was right then that I decided to try and imagine myself being miraculously transformed into that red-tailed hawk as I continued on along my walking course. Suddenly, I then found myself moving, advancing. and imagining the feeling of having wings. The next things I knew, I was frantically flapping and pumping my arms. In that exact moment, it was almost as if I was effortlessly gliding over the blacktop, and going around every approaching twist and turn on the paved road with this new sensing of flight or fantasy.?

My leg soreness, back pain and tightness was now completely gone from my awareness and the more that I tried to consider what it must feel like to be a red-tailed hawk, seemingly, the smoother and faster my pace became. Gradually, I began getting the sensation of goosebumps which I have gotten before and have even tried to experiment with this sensation by trying to both accentuate and prolong its duration.

Not only did the sensation linger far longer than it had ever done before it was as if it had consumed my entire body not just my abdomen and my arms as in the past: everything felt aroused and synchronized with something other than myself; an energy or spirit or the red-tailed hawk itself. I wondered to myself, does it feel anything like this when we run free and openly into a state of selflessness, or are on our way to becoming absent from the body and present with the Lord? Well if it does, then it seems to me that we do not have anything at all to be afraid of. Indeed, when that day comes it will surely be a magnificent experience for each of us. I have an affirming suspicion that we are going to be well on our way to something far greater than we ever thought possible.?That is unless of course you and I remain in a state of unwillingness to let go of what we already know and to swap places with the unknown or a red-tail hawk even if it turns out to only be for a very brief moment in one's earthly existence.

The rest of my walk was equally thrilling, mixed with more instances of practically gliding on an air current. It fact, it was most unforgettable. I believe that I now know what is deeply meant by others when they say no pain, no gain. Of course, I can hardly wait until the next time out and the possibility of seeing that same red-tailed hawk again, and if by some miracle today that hawk got a small taste of what it is like to be in my running shoes then I can only imagine that it would probably prefer to remain a red-tailed hawk, at least for the time being anyway.

Blessings upon blessings to you.