“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
As I have meditated on this verse over the last few days, I found myself struggling to figure out what to say. I ultimately kept coming back to a story that I’ve shared over various platforms in the past, and while that has caused me to hesitate from putting it down on this technological page, I think that it is a beautiful story that is certainly worth sharing today.
On the weekends that I would be with my dad as a kid, we would occasionally take the time to walk around the house together. Now, I know what you might be thinking, “Chad, I thought you said you couldn’t walk”. And, yes, that is still definitely true and it is a big part of why this story is such an impactful one for me. Keep in mind that when I say “walking”, I am using that word pretty loosely here because this was not a pretty process! If anything, this time of “walking” would be more accurately described as a time of me gripping my dad’s hands as tight as I could as my feet helplessly dragged along the floor. It did not look all that graceful, nor do I think that it actually helped me get any better at walking, but I genuinely believe that it was truly one of the most beautiful pictures of the Gospel that I have ever encountered.
Walking with dad was always a struggle for me. The muscles in my legs simply were not accustomed to that kind of workload, irrelevant to how small of a workload that it may have been. My legs have decent strength, standing for a brief period of time isn’t very challenging on my good days. However, getting those muscles to work together and start the walking process is a completely different story. Certain muscles have a really tough time doing what my brain is telling them to do Walking takes a ton of effort and energy, as a result. It is an extremely uncoordinated and strenuous workout. Not only that, my balance has always been off, keeping my body upright has always been a challenge. With these two factors colliding, one could see how this time of walking was full of literal ups and downs. Despite this, in those moments, my dad was present, encouraging, and never let go.
Whenever I think back on the times that dad and I would walk together, I immediately connect it to the passage emphasized at the beginning of the post I love the reminder that God is with me and holding me as we go through life together. Just like my dad walked with me as a kid, God helps me and holds me up each and every day. And that love and compassion has been made available for each of us. Through all the ups and downs, regardless of how many times that we may slip and fall, may we all remember to cling tight to the hands of Christ. Life is not easy, difficulty is inevitable, but we can rest in the reassurance that we are never alone on this journey.