In my previous reflection, I shared about a walk I took with my son five years ago. On that walk, I thought about four things that we can delight in amidst our walk with God, our Father. I shared in the former article about delighting in people and in God's presence. I'll conclude with my final two thoughts here.
Delight in Security
Around a hundred years ago, my grandfather was visiting the big city. It was quite a different sight from their country farm as he walked hand in hand with his grandson. For the rest of his life, grandpa would lament that he hadn't held on tight enough, for in just a moment his grandson let go of his hand, dashed into traffic, and was killed.
I thought of this story as my son and I stepped into an intersection. A white coupe came speeding around a blind corner, and we stepped back onto the curb. I thought of how small children don't understand the dangers of traffic and the world around them. Perhaps my son wondered why I didn't allow him to cross the road at that time.
Similarly, we so often do not understand the dangers around us that God can see. God may intervene or seemingly not intervene in ways we do not understand, and it can be hard to trust that He is good and that goodness and mercy are with us always (Psalm 23:6).
In very dark times, like for my grandpa, the good things and people in our lives may slip from our grasp, and we cannot hold tight to them anymore in this life. I know that my grandpa believed that Jesus made possible a resurrection from the dead. This hope for the future helped him carry on. In this life, we are also offered the hand of God to uphold us (Psalm 63:8) and to help us see that God's presence is our greatest need and desire (Psalm 73:23-26).
As he walks with me, my son has a security that he would not have on his own, and as we walk in communion with God we find a security that spans from this life into eternity.
Delight in Dependence
As the hours passed, my son grew tired. His initial enthusiasm dimmed and his steps slowed. I considered how ridiculous it would be to grow frustrated with him and scold him, and it would be unthinkable to notice him slowing and leave him behind. I would never ever leave him. I slowed down, held his hand, and encouraged him. How much more so is God patient with our slowness and our weariness? Jesus scolded pride and willful blindness, but He always honored dependence. He delighted in the dependence of children and responded in love to the dependent, imperfect faith of the people around Him.
When we slow down, stumble, or grow weary, we can continue to depend upon the Lord. St. Innocent of Alaska states, "Strive for the Heavenly Kingdom while you can still walk. Walk even a little bit, even if by crawling, but do it in the right direction. Then in eternity you will truly rejoice for every step you have taken!" From the first light of morning until our eyes close in sleep, may we hold the hand of our heavenly Father and walk with Him.
A few months after the walk I described above, I was holding his hand and walking my son into school. I said, "Hey buddy, do you know what's happening right now?" He said, "No," and I said, "I'm loving you right now." This is how God looks at all of us. Right now, as you are reading this, do you know what is happening? God is loving you right now. God delights in you. Deep inside of you, your gentle, quiet spirit is precious to Him (1 Peter 3:4). You can delight in His love for you and His love for all people. You can delight in His presence, the security that brings, and in your dependence upon Him.
For further reflection on your walk with God, consider reading St. Paul's epistle to the Ephesians and consider the ways in which he encourages us to walk.
Originally published in the Holy Apostles E-bulletin. Subscribe here.
