North of MacNiders Woods

Over the last two weeks, I walked with a couple of members of my church through the neighborhoods north of Parkers Woods Park, between Pierce and Jackson Avenues.  There were many children out on both days we walked.  You get a sense that traffic is light through these streets.  I also thought it was fun to note the teenagers in their sporty cars parked backwards while they picked up or dropped off friends.

We started our walks with Scripture.  I have been reading Proverbs recently, and Proverbs 2 seemed an appropriate word to start with for the first walk.  It is full of metaphors about walking, paths and ways.   As we walked through the area just North of Parkers Woods Park, we saw houses that appeared to be abandoned or in various states of repair.  We wondered whether Willow Creek had flooded up this high, or whether there was some sort of neighborhood renewal going on.  The houses here are small and square.  Most of the architectural interest is in color and landscaping.

Someone in this house decided to add a little bit of Spongebob style to this house

For me, this was the first time walking in this part of Mason City.  One of the other walkers had not been here in a long time and shared some reminiscences about the park and neighborhood.  We ended with some discussion about our journey and reflected on the Scripture.

The second walk started at Hoover Elementary School. 

Because it was Spring Break, the school was eerily quiet.  The day was beautiful and warm, and we began with Isaiah 40:30-31.  We decided that, not being youths, this Scripture implies that it is all right if we feel a little bit slow and unenthusiastic sometimes.  Again, the neighborhood was full of children playing, but the weather was so beautiful we saw adults out and about as well.  It seems that many people have brand new puppies this Spring, as we encountered two or three as we walked.  

A couple of things jumped out at me during this walk: a set of baby size footprints captured in a sidewalk and a large, white angel made out of wood.  The other thing I noticed was that houses got bigger and better maintained the closer we got to 12th St. NW.  

One thing about walking with other people, is that the flow of prayer is different.  Often we are talking and sharing, so there is not as much concentration on praying for the people and the homes.  It is also harder to remember to stop and take pictures.   On the other hand, walking with other people allows for reflection on a Scripture, conversation and sharing with others that doesn't happen when I walk alone.    

 
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