Psalm 73:23-24

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.

In my walk with God, I tend to leave Him in the dust as I jump ahead to my next big plan. The picture in this Psalm this morning reminded me of when I walk in a parking lot with my three-year old, Madison. I’m trying to get from the car to whatever building we’re heading for, she wants to jump over bumps on the ground, talk about the parking stripes and stop to look at a leaf. It’s very difficult to hold her hand (my other, occupied by her little brother) as she leaps off the ground suddenly over an invisible “bump”, quickens her pace to see something amazing just ahead or suddenly stops completely mid-stride to examine the ground. In the midst of all her little activities however, she never lets go of my hand. Even as the world around completely distracts her from the task we’re accomplishing, she understands the safety represented in keeping her little fingers entwined with mine.

I don’t think I’ve quite grasped the same lesson with God yet. Because as my world gets crazy, in order to free up a hand to deal with problems, I often let go of my grasp on God’s. In my attempts to go around the bumps in life, I fail to see that Jesus wants to jump over them with me. I get occupied by the puddle in the parking lot, and forget the ultimate destination.

Just as I would never just walk away and leave Madison observing a bug the middle of a parking lot, God is with me every step of the way. In the times I’m distracted by life, when I stop or run ahead, He’s willing to wait for me to catch up or come back. He wants to  transform my life with each step, guiding me through the delights and perils of my world. I’m so thankful that He cares for me enough to go at my pace sometimes. Never just abandoning me in the parking lot to figure it out for myself.