Reaching the World One Step at a Time

By Donald Lewis Stevenson

 Donald is on far right...

I was born in Columbus, Ohio at a very early age, in fact, earlier than most:  I was a 7-month baby. Mom must have thought a lot of me because she made it a point to be there when I arrived.  She was the first person to welcome me into this strange, cold world.  I appreciated that a lot.  I really think she would have preferred not being there though—it was January 4th, 1936, in the middle of a snow storm.  I was put in an incubator for several weeks.  The incubator must have come from a local poultry farm, because when they took me out to send me home I got the chicken pox!

          Except for the few times my life was in jeopardy from various accidents, childhood diseases, a house fire, peer scuffles, and near-street mugging's, my childhood was essentially peaceful.  I think the most traumatic experiences came from the inertia-blasting side of my teacher's paddle or Dad's belt, or Mom's hickory switch. 

          One day while feeling sorry for myself I ran away from home.  In spite of hitchhiking from the wrong side of the road, I managed to get several miles away.  I stayed away all day, hoping my family would miss me.  But when I returned I didn’t receive the "welcome home" I anticipated because no one had even noticed I was gone!  That sure did a lot for my ego.

I was kind of a slow starter scholastically.  I stayed in second grade for two years.  I think maybe the teacher liked having me around but I don’t know why. She gave me a paddling practically every day.  I inherited a 2nd grade Reader that was scribbled in by students of previous years.  When the teacher noticed the desecrated book, she warned me that I was going to get a paddling every time she spied a scribbled page.  Well, she checked the book practically every reading session, and, during practically every reading session she leaned me over the sandbox and whacked me with the paddle.  I've been leery of sand boxes ever since!

          I also flunked 5th grade. I was 17 by the time I was a high school sophomore.  That's when I decided to drop out of public education.  I joined the Marine Corps Reserve in November, 1953.  Two months later I enlisted in the regular Marines. 

          The Marine Corps taught me many good things about self discipline.  Like, I wasn't really stupid as I had previously believed.  I attended a school while attached with the 1st Marine Division and graduated at the head of my class.  Because of that I was promoted and received a letter of commendation from the Division General.

After leaving the Marines in January, 1957, I enrolled in high school and college classes at God’s Bible School and Missionary Training Home in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Thanks to the GI Bill I was able to complete 7 years of schooling in four. I got my high school diploma, and received my Bachelor of Theology Degree with honors.

          I pastored my first church in Newark, Ohio.  I sure felt sorry for those sweet people.  I think I had almost every one of them doing the backstroke in the Lake of Fire at one time or another before I left.  They were truly precious people and I was young and had more zeal than sense way back then.

          Over the years I pastored or assisted pastoring several churches, taught at a small Bible school in Phoenix, Arizona, drove 18-wheelers and smaller vehicles for a Seattle based dairy (Darigold Inc), was a volunteer fire fighter and station Captain on Vashon Island, Washington, did emergency medical work as an EMT with the fire district and a private Seattle ambulance company.

          After 28 years of service with Darigold Inc. I retired in 1994 so I could devote my time to writing.   I’ve written several novels and inspirational books.  All were desktop published except one titled Death With a View.  I’ve also authored scores of children’s stories which I incorporated in a two volume set titled The Grandpa Story Book.

          My lovely, precious wife Loretta and I have been married since 1983.  She’s a real sport!  I’m a hard man to love, but she makes it look so easy.

          I started the habit of walking for health and meditation in September of 1996. 

          In 1998, because I loved walking so much, I decided to walk across America.  I didn’t want to do the cross-continent walk just for myself, so I chose to do it to raise awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association of America, dedicating it to the memory of my father-in-law who died with the disease.  The theme for the walk was, “Walking to the Light for Alzheimer’s”.  It was a 3,000 mile walk from Washington State to the Portland headlight in Portland, Maine.  A wonderful experience! And it drew my Loretta and me closer to Him as we were truly aware of His approval. 

          The following year (1999) I continued the same theme, and walked to almost all the lighthouses along the Washington coast.

          While walking to the Point Robinson Lighthouse on Vashon, Island, a young lady on vacation from Alaska read about me in the local island newspaper.  She was the event coordinator for the Multiple Sclerosis Society in Anchorage, Alaska.  She called and asked if I would do a charity walk for Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

          After praying about her request, I decided to walk from the Tijuana, Mexico border to Anchorage.  A four-thousand mile trek.  Because I started the walk on Valentine’s Day, 2000, I called it the world’s longest Valentine—for MS sufferers.  The theme of the walk was North to Alaska. I dedicated the walk to my older brother Eldon  who died with MS at the early age of thirty-two.

          My precious sister Stephanie also has MS.  She asked me to save a walk for her.  In 2001 I granted her request by walking from Seattle, Washington to New York City for the MS Society.  During this walk, I walked 2,500 miles to her front door in Westerville, Ohio, and greeted her with a big hug and then proceeded on my journey to New York City.

          By the time Loretta and I arrived in Pennsylvania, we were four days behind schedule.  I suggested that we plan our arrival in New York City on Tuesday, September eleventh.  She didn’t think that was a good idea since the MS Society and the media had already scheduled to meet us at the World Trade Center on Friday, September seventh.  Loretta, being the great navigator that she is, found us a shorter route which got us to the World Trade Center right on schedule. Had we gotten there four days later as I suggested, we would have been at the World Trade Center at the very hour it was attacked and destroyed by terrorists.  Even now our hearts grieve for the thousands of souls who perished in that horrible atrocity.

          Through it all I did learn a valuable lesson:  SOMETIMES, IT PAYS TO LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE!

          There are valuable lessons and inspirational stories behind all of my journeys, but it would take a large volume to relate them here.

          Over the past several years I have been pastor of the seniors’ fellowship at our local church in Bonney Lake, Washington.  What a blessing it is working with the old warriors of God’s kingdom.  My passion is to be a guide and mentor to the elderly and to aid them in reaching the city limits of that heavenly city John saw coming down.  I want to be a “soul whisperer” to them and bless them as they cross over the threshold into eternity.

          At present I am preparing for a 1400 mile blindfold walk from Rugby, North Dakota to Seattle, Washington to benefit the sight impaired.  That walk begins June 11, 2012 and ends on September 7^th.  Hundreds of those miles will be done while I’m blindfolded.  I’m dedicating the walk to an 11 year old boy who was born blind.  My prayer is that that little guy will someday be able to see.  With God all things are possible! 

          God has blessed me with good health, and out of gratitude I’ve tried sharing that blessing with those who are less fortunate.    I'm a happy, wealthy man.  I don't possess much of this world's goods, but I do possess that which money cannot purchase—Love, Joy, and Peace!

May God’s Grace be with you always!

I am sincerely for the good of others,

Donald Lewis Stevenson (a.k.a. the Pacin’ Parson).

(253) 735-1177

Donlssixty-two@juno.com

Don has walked over 40,000 miles for various charities since 1998.