Take Jesus’ Hand

 

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement

Take Jesus’ Hand

The young father and his little daughter stood at the top of the escalator. In spite of his firm grip on her small hand, she pulled back from the step, her reluctance reflected in her wide eyes.

Daddy spoke in a low encouraging voice, but the words didn’t carry past the cute, little girl in a small red coat with her hair braided in neat cornrows. She put her little foot out when her father stepped onto the escalator, but she twisted and would have missed the step if Dad hadn’t had a tight clasp on her hand. While he held her, she quickly maneuvered her feet under her and stood upright, but her eyes were still wide with uncertainty as she rode down the escalator.

Don’t we sometimes hang back like that little girl when we are confronted with new situations that take us into the unknown? There is protection in the cautious approach. Plunging into the unknown carries risk which makes it wise to go to God in prayer as we assess the dangers.  But when we know that our heavenly father is with us in our adventure, and desires us to move forward, we can grasp His hand and take the step, depending on him to keep us from  falling even if we stumble a bit mastering something new. That loving father wasn’t going to let his daughter fall down the escalator, but he didn’t pick her up either so the situation required some effort on her part. Our heavenly father sometimes wants us to trust him to help us undertake new roles, learn new activities without his picking us up to make the proceedings effortless. We smiled at the tyke’s trepidation and hoped by the time she reached the floor below, she’d enjoyed her ride. I pray you and I discern when to hold on tight to God and step onto the moving stairs of a new adventure, trusting Him to keep us from falling.