Go

My daughter, Avery, busied herself in our home office while I was getting things done around the house. She was four, at the time, and she had no idea I was wrestling with God. As I worked, my mind was flooded with thoughts, inundated with worry.

Avery came running into the kitchen where I was cleaning counter tops. “Mommy, Mommy!” She cried, with excitement. “I have something for you! Here!”

I bent down and took the little card my sweet child made for me. Not expecting the message I was about to hear, I began to try to decipher the rudimentary writing but was quickly interrupted. “It says, ‘love you’, and then here’s a cross I drew for you,” Avery said confidently, as she pointed to a cross that resembled a plus sign. “Then it says, ‘Go. God is always holding you.’”

I looked at her, tears stinging my eyes, and gave her a great big hug. “Thank you… thank you, my love!”

I can’t tell you how many times Jesus has spoken to me through my children. This was just what I needed to hear.

Jesus calls us to follow, but oftentimes, instead of simply surrendering and allowing Him to lead us, we hesitate. We mull it over. We wrestle with what we’re called to. But we must go. “Go,” says the Lord, “I am always holding you!” What a blessing to be reminded of this simple truth.

I have learned a lot about the heart of Jesus over the last four years, but what stands out most to me is that Jesus is truly our Redeemer. And when He calls us to follow Him, He wants to bring us to a new place. A place rich in beauty and blessing. Now, that doesn’t mean the path toward redemption will be void of pain, trial, or difficulty, but it does mean He will faithfully bring us through to the other side.

Yet, God has shown me that in order to get there, we must choose––through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit––to say yes. To say yes, my Lord, I will follow You. Yes, my Lord, I will obey Your commands. For, it is when we lay down our fear, our pride, and our resistance that we are able to experience life as He intended. The life that Jesus died for us to have.

We rest in the mighty arms of the Lord Almighty. We are not our own. We are His. And He is faithful to His promises. Let us surrender ourselves to His faithfulness and rest in the fact that He will guide us through the narrow gate toward life.

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. - Matthew 7:13-14