Recently, I was enjoying my time with a little girl who was learning
to walk. She would hold my finger and toddle around, only letting go when she
wanted to change directions. There’s a sweetness when walking with a young
child; an innocence you feel needs to be protected and held onto.
We didn't have any worries as we walked together. All she needed was my finger to remain confident and steady. There was no struggle, no strife… and no development.
As we walked with her, Nancy helped me realize there were times I needed to let go. The smooth surface of the sidewalk was no trouble, but when we ventured onto the uneven grass or the woodchip-covered playground, the leisurely walk became a challenge.
When off the sidewalk, I had to pry her hand off my finger. She was uncomfortable. She was unsteady. She was unhappy. And she was growing. If a caregiver’s job is to help develop a child, holding her hand was handicapping her.
I think the same is true in our journey with God. There are times in our lives when we wonder where he is, what he’s doing, why we’re hurting and he feels so distant. We probably feel like my little friend, abandoned and betrayed as we struggle to put one foot in front of the other.
The issue of suffering is a tricky one because there are so many questions. Did God cause it? Allow it? If he’s good, why didn't he prevent it? What’s the role of man’s free will? Evil men? What’s the impact of the fall? What does it mean to live in a broken and cursed creation?
I wrestle with those questions and I try to live in the tension they create. No answer I could verbalize would mean anything to someone traumatized by tragedy.
All I know is, when that little girl was struggling on her walk, I never left her. When she wobbled, stumbled and fell, I was with her. Sometimes I helped her up, and encouraged her to continue the struggle. Sometimes I watched as she learned how to stand on her own. But I was always there.
I don’t know your struggle. The pain of the past, the problems in the present and uncertainty of the future can overwhelm us. Whatever they are, please hear me say, God is honored in your struggle... and you are not alone.
We didn't have any worries as we walked together. All she needed was my finger to remain confident and steady. There was no struggle, no strife… and no development.
As we walked with her, Nancy helped me realize there were times I needed to let go. The smooth surface of the sidewalk was no trouble, but when we ventured onto the uneven grass or the woodchip-covered playground, the leisurely walk became a challenge.
When off the sidewalk, I had to pry her hand off my finger. She was uncomfortable. She was unsteady. She was unhappy. And she was growing. If a caregiver’s job is to help develop a child, holding her hand was handicapping her.
I think the same is true in our journey with God. There are times in our lives when we wonder where he is, what he’s doing, why we’re hurting and he feels so distant. We probably feel like my little friend, abandoned and betrayed as we struggle to put one foot in front of the other.
The issue of suffering is a tricky one because there are so many questions. Did God cause it? Allow it? If he’s good, why didn't he prevent it? What’s the role of man’s free will? Evil men? What’s the impact of the fall? What does it mean to live in a broken and cursed creation?
I wrestle with those questions and I try to live in the tension they create. No answer I could verbalize would mean anything to someone traumatized by tragedy.
All I know is, when that little girl was struggling on her walk, I never left her. When she wobbled, stumbled and fell, I was with her. Sometimes I helped her up, and encouraged her to continue the struggle. Sometimes I watched as she learned how to stand on her own. But I was always there.
I don’t know your struggle. The pain of the past, the problems in the present and uncertainty of the future can overwhelm us. Whatever they are, please hear me say, God is honored in your struggle... and you are not alone.
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