With God, It's Personal

When a child begins to walk, parents are thrilled beyond measure -- the drive to walk is exactly the same for each child, but each begins in his/her own way:  in his time, according to his/her own personality, fear, and confidence.  No two children approach the task at exactly the same time, the same way.  Most children -- but not all -- will begin by standing, holding onto the furniture, and maybe bouncing up and down, assessing what the next step will be.  Some babies will frown, concentrating on what to do next; some will grin as they see the expression on the parents' faces, knowing that already they have done something wonderful.  One of my brothers, however, did none of these things; my mother feared he was lagging developmentally -- until one day, he just slid off the bed and ran through the house, at about 18 months old. 

My youngest child began walking a little later than the other two -- probably because there was already a three-ring circus going on all around her, amusing her so much that she forgot to walk for awhile.  At any rate, when she stood up, she wanted someone to take her hand and walk her around and around the house.  She was dependent on that support for a long time, and she just loved walking holding the hand of an adult.  Unlike the other two, she did not attempt moving on her own between one source of support and another.  I remember when I was going into the hospital for surgery just at that point in her life; I worried about who would walk her around in my absence.  I need not have worried; my dear father was more than happy to walk her around as many times as she wanted to go.  Eventually, she had the confidence to let go and begin walking on her own. 

Most of the time, parents are the cheerleaders, sitting on the sidelines, saying, "Go! Go! Go!"  Or else, the child is positioned between two supports, and the parents are saying, "Come on, let go, come to Daddy/ Mommy!"  And when the child does let go and move a couple of steps on his/her own, the parents are clapping and cheering, hugging and kissing in encouragement.

That's how God is with us.  The smallest step we take toward him is rewarded with hugs and kisses, smiles and support.  We stand on the precipice for what seems forever, afraid to take the first step toward the abyss of trust -- but once we do, we find ourselves caught up in strong arms, welcomed and supported.  He knows our weakness, and He is there for each step we take.  If we need to hold His hand for months and months, as we learn to walk on our own, He does not mind, but patiently walks with us until we are ready to walk on our own.

And He knows that each one of us starts from a different place.  With God, it's always personal and "Up close."  He never says, "Your brother began walking at a much earlier age; what's wrong with you?"   Whoever we are, wherever we are, He says, "Come to Me; I will catch you."  The woman caught in adultery was caught in His arms; Matthew, the tax-collecter, was welcomed in His arms; John, the young teen, was drawn to His support and strength;  Mary, Martha, Peter, Judas -- all were welcome, and all treated as individuals. 

After Peter denied Jesus in fear and weakness, Jesus did not remove his office or his annointing, but re-instated Peter as the head of a church of sinners:  When you have been strengthened, turn and strengthen your brothers (Luke 22:31).  Unless Peter understood in his bones the weakness of man, he was not ready to feed the sheep.  But Peter wanted to know about John, who had remained at the foot of the cross:  "Lord, what about him?"  And Jesus told Peter plainly that it was none of his business what would happen to John --- each one of us is different, and will be treated differently.  Some of us need to remain in prayer until Jesus comes; some need to go to India and preach to the natives.  What each one of us needs to do is to trust God and to go where we are sent. 

Like babies learning to walk, we all need to walk in trust that God is present to catch us, to strengthen us, to reward us as we move forward.  Faith moves forward; fear turns back.  No two of us will make exactly the same journey in the same way -- but there is a remarkable similarity in the testimonies of those who do step out in faith, and their hymn of praise and thanksgiving can be found in every one of the psalms:

The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul....(Ps. 23).

 

I don't know anyone who has ever trusted in God and been disappointed, but I know plenty of people who have refused to trust in God and have eaten the fruit of bitterness all the days of their lives.