.

Gracie’s brothers had just returned from the pool, the pool is too cold for her at the moment and I felt like she needed a little special attention so we took a walk; it was a good walk for all concerned.

Gracie is often on the move and it is hard to slow her down, yet this night there was a simple calmness to her as she reached up to hold my hand as we walked hand in hand in our circle. It felt good to be able to wrap my hand around hers and better that she allowed me to do it without attempting to pull away.

As we walked I felt close to her as she allowed me to touch her hand and walk along side her. For some moments instead of her following her plan to her next destination she allowed me to lead without fighting back.

I thought this is how God must feel when I finally reach up and allow Him to hold my hand without any resistance. How He must long for those few moments when I stop from my busy schedule long enough to allow Him to guide. I thought of how He must enjoy the quite moments when I finally allow it to be just the two of us.

As Gracie’s oldest brother and his family drove away she took the hand I wasn’t holding and blew kisses and waved to them at the stop sign before they got away. The fact they could not see her didn’t bother her, she simply smiled at me as I commended her for her sweet good-byes.

I thought to myself of how God must love to hold our hands and watch us as we take time to love one another with the simple love that a child has. Not a polluted worldly type of love but an unconditional one that could only come from Him. Surely God must smile at our innocence.

At the end of the circle I tried to move her back toward the house but she would have none of it. In her silent way of communicating with her father she started to point me a little further, she saw the street light ahead and headed for it. A part of me wanted to take charge and head for the house, the wiser part kept walking in the direction she wished to go. She squeezed my hand, smiled and walked that walk that only Gracie can. I was holding her hand but she felt she was in control.

Surely God loves to hold our hand as we seek out new adventures. I thought of the times I believed that I was in control, only to realize in looking back that it was the Father who allowed me to go a little further for the experience of it all. While all the time holding my hand tightly. I thought how He must love it when we walk toward the light, holding His hand for security as we face the unknown, together.

A few houses from the end of the street where the light awaited us Gracie decided she was finished walking. She turned, stood right in front of me and reached both arms up toward her father. The choice was to run over her or pick her up, easy choice. I finished the journey to the light with a smiling, safe and satisfied girl in my arms. I felt unusually good as I carried my girl home.

For just a few moments I knew how it must feel for God when we, His children, grow tired and weary and instead of attempting to take matters into our own hands, we simply reach our hands toward the Lord. How He must yearn for the moments that we give up and reach up.

Gracie got to the light but not on her own strength, she reached her destination on the strength of her father.

How assuring it is to know that as we walk toward the light with all of this worlds distractions, heartaches and failures that when the day comes, we can reach our arms up to our Father and He will carry us safely home.

What a good God; one that holds our little hands.

Scripture: Isaiah 49:16, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you that you love us enough to walk with us each day, in Christ Name, Amen.