Category Archives: Children

Hand-in-Hand

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Now that the weather is warming, Emerald and I have been sharing responsibility for taking Jack on his late afternoon walk. For quite some time now she’s been pleading with me to let her hold his leash, and this week she finally became the dog-walker.

Dog-walker

Since Jack doesn’t have the energy to sprint for squirrels anymore, the odds were good that Emerald wouldn’t be dragged down the road as she clutched the leash. Nevertheless, I kept a close eye. If Jack stopped, stiffened his tail, and perked up his ears, I quickly reach down and closed my hand over Emerald’s, adding the necessary strength needed if he should bolt.

Feeling capableIt’s true that Jack no longer wastes energy on little critters, but a nice big deer is another story. Recently he spotted one well before I did, but his body language told me he was about to run. In a split second I had my hand over Emerald’s and held on tight. Though he did try, we successfully held him back…. together.

Emerald’s toddler-strength probably couldn’t even hold a chipmunk back, but when our hands were locked together, she remained safe.

What a great parallel to how God cares for us. We might be drawn into a situation that’s too much to handle, whether willingly or unwillingly, so we cry to God for help. He is willing to cover our weakness with his strength the same way my hand covered Emerald’s.

One example from my own life came during my early days of widowhood. I remember being overwhelmed by sadness, and day after day I was stuck there, feeble in every way. If it hadn’t been for God’s strong partnership (or we could say his strength wrapped around my weakness), I think I’d be in that same place still.

Each day when Emerald and I walk Jack now, she expects to hold the leash herself, blissfully unaware of any risks. “Ewa hole it,” she says. She has no idea I’m watching carefully, trying to stay one step ahead of anything that might harm her.

God does the same thing. Sometimes we think we don’t need him to cover us with help or protection. But he says, “I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” (Psalm 32:8) In other words, he’ll give us his recommendation, but if we insist on handling things our own way, he’ll step back and let us do it. All the while, though, he’ll keep an eye on us, watching for danger. I find that very reassuring.

Holding onWhere we get into trouble is when we ourselves become aware that danger is ahead but still say, “I don’t need your help, Lord.” Thankfully it takes only a few of those incidents (along with their often-difficult conclusions) to convince us that doing things hand-in-hand with him is always the better choice.

“I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)

Out to Get You!

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When we use the expression, “He’s out to get you,” it always has a negative connotation…. unless we’re using it with a young child.

One of Emerald’s favorite games is for me to reach my arms toward her and say, “I’m gonna get-chu!”

Gonna get-chu!Then, with tiny footsteps, I’ll “chase” her across the room while she runs as fast as her little legs will carry her. She giggles and squeals, looking over her shoulder to be sure I’m still coming, and when I finally grab her, she throws her head back in pure pleasure, happy to have been “gotten.”

Long ago Pastor Colin Smith described God doing his own version of “get-chu.” He started with the example of a mother calling her children to dinner. As she projects her voice toward the family room she says, “Come to the table, kids. Dinner’s ready!”

But, busy with other things, they might not respond. So she calls a second time. Maybe a third. Finally, she leaves the kitchen and literally goes and gets them.

God calls to us much like that mother, but we’re often so wrapped up in doing other things that we don’t move in his direction. Even if we do hear him, we might not come. Thankfully, though, he often decides he’s just going to “go and get” us.

In the Gospels Jesus tells a story that matches this model. A shepherd watching over 100 sheep leaves the 99 to “go and get” the one who’s lost. How amazing to realize the fervency of his love for each of us.

I love playing “get-chu” with Emerald. It’s interesting, though, that something strange happens just before I nab her. As I’m getting close, she whirls around to face me and then throws herself into my arms. Every time.

Get-chu!Why is this? Is the suspense of being caught so strong she can’t wait? Or is the anticipated hug so appealing she wants it “now?” Or is there a twinge of nervousness in the chase that prompts her to check again that grandma still loves her?

Whatever the reason, I hope if I’m ever running from God that as I sense he’s coming to get me, I’ll turn and run straight into him. Or maybe I’ll do what Emerald sometimes does, initiating a round of “get-chu.” She’ll say, “MeeMee, I’m gonna get-chu!” and then she’ll turn and run away. What she really means is, “You come and get me!”

I believe that’s in the heart of all of us. We want a closeness to God but often don’t know how to get there. “If only he’d come and get me,” we think.

The good news is, if we really want him to, he will.

Jesus said, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.” (Luke 15:4-6)

Out of Hiding

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When I visit my grandchildren, one game they love to play is Hide-and-Seek. I like it too, for a couple of reasons: all ages can play, and tired grandmas can choose hiding places where they can rest quietly for a few minutes.

Once in a while, instead of hiding themselves, the children enjoy hiding special toys. Hunting for Matchbox cars or finger-size princess dolls can be the ultimate in Hide-and-Seek challenges, but bigger items are fun to search for.

IMG_4624The last time we played, it was Skylar’s turn to hide something, and she chose her pink purse.

Wisely, she tucked it into a bush full of pink blossoms, and those of us looking for it had a tough time. We walked past it again and again without seeing it. Eventually we had to ask her for clues in order to finally find it.

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Sometimes we can feel we’re playing that kind of game with God, like he’s hiding from us in a place that’s impossible to find. And how about when we ask what his will is for us? Does he keep that a secret, too?

I think of Moses up on Mt. Sinai, all alone with God. He said, “Show me your glory, Lord.” In other words, “Come out from your hiding place.” And unbelievably, God did! He showed Moses something no other human being has ever seen.

And that wasn’t even all of it. Moses asked God to give him a partner in his travels through the wilderness, and God responded by saying he would personally take the job, guiding Moses with an audible voice. Another time when Moses asked what to do with obstinate followers, God answered him definitively. And when he stood in the gap and asked God to forgive the sins of others, God did that, too.

Why was it that Moses seemed to “find” God so easily? Why did God have such a high opinion of Moses? I think the key is in his attitude.

Moses viewed God as his only personal hope for succeeding at anything, his go-to Person for every need. He didn’t make plans apart from the Lord and never thought of God as his last resort. His first move was always toward him. And then, when he was told what to do, he followed orders exactly. He also spent time worshipping God, sometimes face-to-the-ground.

Pink purse..God looked favorably on Moses, to the point of coming out of hiding in a dramatic way. And he’ll find favor with us, too, if we’ll honor him as Number One. After that, finding him will be even easier than finding a pink purse hidden in a pink bush.

“One day Moses said to the Lord, ‘If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully’.” (Exodus 33:12-13)