Have you ever wondered what it’s like to walk a mile in another person’s shoes?

Well, let me tell you what it’s like to walk a mile in my shoes – actually 22 kilometres to be exact.

I should clarify that I used the stats from my wife’s Apple watch because somehow, even though we walked everywhere together, apparently I only walked 21.56 kilometres. … I’m not sure what’s up with that! 

We spent our last day in Rome taking tours – first was a walking tour of the Vatican. To be honest, it was not high on my priority list but I was glad we saw it. It was amazing. 

The Sistine Chapel paintings and St. Peter’s Basilica are true wonders of beauty and architecture … not to mention ingenuity to build on such a grand scale. 

As inspiring as that tour was, you have to know that Lily and I started our day at about 5 am. Because Lil is frugal, she thought a good brisk walk at 6 am in 4 degrees for 4 kilometres would be a good thing.

By the time we got to the tour line, I wasn’t cold anymore. We had hoofed those 4 k’s in about 45 minutes. 

After that first tour, we had some time before the next tour. And, of course, the second tour didn’t start at the Vatican, but about 3.5 kilometres from the Pope’s place.

We were a little tired and I needed to eat something since we hadn’t had breakfast. So we found a little spot I like to call McDonald’s.  

I know what you’re thinking: “What in the world are you doing eating at McDonald’s in Rome?!” Well, I need non-sweet, non-sugary food in my belly in the mornings, and most of the cafes had pastries and carbs that wouldn’t last me very long.

To redeem myself, from the Mickey D’s on our way towards our next destination, we stopped off at a cafe where Lil got a cappuccino and a pastry. It was good to sit down at those two spots because we still had a lot more walking to do that afternoon. 

Our next tour started at the Colosseum, which involved a lot of walking on its own. Then we headed over to the Roman Forum and spent some time there. 

Walking through the Forum was all down hill, but as they say in mountain biking, “every time you get a downhill, there will always be an uphill that follows”. At the end of the Forum, we climbed up a windy road to get some great pics looking down at the Forum from above.

We then walked to the Pantheon and it seemed like we passed a church or a fountain or a statue at every turn.

We finished our tour at the Piazza Navona which the guide said was too small for chariot races. … I bet she’s never seen the wagon races at the Calgary Stampede! … I’m sure they could have done chariots in the Piazza.

Finally, we were done … I mean, we were really done in. We found the closest restaurant and sat down. 

We closed out the day with a 3 km walk back to our hotel … tired of walking, but very satisfied.

Here’s the thing: We walked a long way that day – maybe you wouldn’t walk that far; maybe you would. We walked it for ourselves, for our own benefit. When Jesus came to walk on this earth, He walked for your benefit. So when you think of walking in someone else’s shoes, that’s what Jesus did, including dying for your sins … because that should have been part of your walk too. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How do you respond to someone walking in your shoes? Leave your comments below.