His Gentle Touch {it changes everything}

She loves to be where I am, but is starting to enjoy playing in her room either by herself or with her brother more and more.  Ever since Santa brought her a dollhouse, my daughter can be found immersed in pretend play for hours.  I love watching her dress and undress her little figurines and talk to them like they are as real as the hair on my head.  It’s priceless.

She wanted to play upstairs for the umpteenth time yesterday, but this time she asked me to come with her.  I couldn’t miss out, so I followed a couple steps behind her.  She had her hands full to the brim with every figurine that she could manage to carry and started her march up the stairs.  She was shaky and seemed unsure of herself, taking each step slower than the last.  She probably sensed that her balance was slightly off and since she didn’t have access to the railings for fear that she’d drop one of her precious figurines, she had to compensate somehow.

I lightly touched her back to let her know I was there in case she lost her footing.  Immediately, her shoulders raised high and she marched up the remaining steps faster and more steady than the ones before.  With the touch of her mommy’s hand and the reminder that I was there to catch her if she fell, it was as though she realized there was nothing left to hold her back.  Her entire demeanor after that one touch changed everything.

It struck me instantly that she is me…and I am The Father.

These teachable moments come at the most random of times, but I was dumbfounded at how the Lord would let my simple gesture teach me a very profound spiritual lesson.

Like many people, I struggle with fear.  I am thankful that it’s not often a paralyzing fear, but then again, I’m still relatively young and have never been asked to speak in front of thousands.  🙂  But, I still have moments where I let the fear creep in.

Will this bridge collapse as I’m driving on it?

Will my children be alive when I go to get them in the morning?

What would I do if Kevin dies at a young age?

If I let these random, out-of-the-blue thoughts permeate my mind, I walk with hesitation and lack of confidence.  I am so scared I might fall that I don’t quite know how I will make it.

But when I feel the gentle touch of The Father through prayer and my time in His Word, I am reminded that He is the one who goes before me and walks behind.  In fact, He surrounds me.  He lives IN me through the power of the Holy Spirit.  He will never let me fall.  That truth changes the way I walk.  It makes all the difference in the world.

I needed this reminder.  How about you?