I think the days of Sunday drives might be obsolete. When I was growing up, “Sunday drivers” referred to slow drivers who seemed to be gawking instead of moving along on the road. I knew the reference well, because I’d been a Sunday driver – well, at least I was a passenger. I wasn’t old enough to drive at the time.

Sunday driving was a common routine. Families would attend church services in the morning, enjoy a dinner together and then drive through the countryside. I remember several Sunday drives with my grandma. She had been a teacher in a one-room country school. She knew the countryside well. My cousin and I sat in the backseat as she pointed out where kids had lived and how far they had to walk, made connections of who was related to whom, and reminisced about many memories and funny stories. Some might have been bored with the Sunday drive. Personally, I like the serenity of it.

Sunday drives are a thing of the past, in my opinion, for two main reasons. First, people are busy and focused. They drive with purpose: to get somewhere in order to do something. (The exception is motorcycles. I know many people who take off on bike rides with no clear idea of where they’re going. They just want to ride, feel the wind, and enjoy the adventure.) Second, higher gas prices have caused us to discriminate between necessary and unecessary drives. If we don’t need to go somewhere, why spend the money? Even teenage “cruising” is down.

I’ve found an alternative: Sunday Walks.

I’m a walker. Even when I’m pushing my pace, walking is relaxing to me. I live in a small town with lightly-travelled roads, so I can walk just about anywhere without worrying about traffic. I often walk into the country, because there’s something about the open air. Walking is energizing and relaxing at the same time. I often end with co-existing feelings of rejuvenation and exhaustion.

When unseasonably moderate temperatures were forecast for a Sunday recently, I knew there was one way I wanted to spend my afternoon: walking. I announced my intentions on the way to church that morning. After lunch, I laced up my walking shoes and set out. I wasn’t sure when I’d return home, but I estimated two hours.

It ended up being a two-and-a-half hour walk…plus an added bonus walk with my husband when I returned home. I covered many miles as the minutes ticked by. I thought about many things, let go of several concerns, let God pour energy into me and encouragement over me, and savored the sights and smells around me. I met very few vehicles, reminding me of the passing trend of Sunday drives.

I thought back to those drives with my grandma and what they had in common with my walks.

1. It’s a time to relax. Life is busy. We all need time to recharge…with intention. God pours into us when we seek opportunities to meet him in breaks among the bustle of life.
2. It’s a time to retreat. Life is painful. A retreat doesn’t make the messiness go away, but it helps to orient us to a healthy perspective as we replace our vantage point with God’s.
3. It’s a time to relinquish. Life isn’t about us. We might be walking the steps or driving the car, but it’s God who is guiding us along the journey.

It’s easy to keep moving, moving, moving without stepping aside long enough to take a Sunday Drive, but I’ll tell you from experience, whether on a Sunday or any other day, the time and effort is most definitely worth the experience.