Most morning’s I like to go for a walk. Once I drop the kids off to school, I get myself outside and do a circuit or two of the estate where I live. It usually takes me around 30mins to do a brisk walk, up and down a few hills and around a park and back to my house again.

This morning’s walk was particularly refreshing. Listening to the various bird songs and the breeze rustling in the trees, breathing in the crisp winter’s morning air, I felt alive.

Like vitally, vibrantly and viscerally alive. The blood pumping through the veins and arteries in my body, flushing the toxins out of my muscles as they heated up from movement, was breathing new life into my dry bones.

I felt, for a moment, that I was connected directly to God. I was acutely conscious of the life He was breathing into me and aware that this body, this vessel that my soul abides in, is His work of art, His masterpiece. It is my responsibility to look after it and keep it healthy and pure, clean and whole, as it is/I am a representation of Him, as my Creator.

It was a renewed call to arms, if you like, to keep walking, to keep exercising and using this body He has given me. To look after it and nurture it and enjoy it. To keep being in nature and breathing in His air, soaking in His presence as my blood pumps and my muscles work, and the birds sing and the trees rustle and the wind blows.

It’s His gift to us and how we use it is our gift to Him. I don’t know about you, but I want it to be as healthy and whole as it could possibly be. I want my body to glorify Him and so, I’m going to keep on walking. How about you?