Chubby little fingers placed inside his hand
a trust that cannot be measured
wrapped with love and trust so tender
knowing with all her little heart
she will never walk alone
that hand will never ever let her go.
Across the street, out in a park,
shopping or playing, never apart
held tightly and securely
depending only on him and
not her own understanding
of how things go and how to live…
little tiny child looks up at her father so tall
pride in her eyes, love in her sweet heart
because she knows with surety
he will guide and protect her
for the rest of her life.

~Marcie Bridges
©17 February 2019

Our day dawned gray and gloomy. We had spent the night in Elva and Sharon’s camper after going to their ministry meeting the night before. (Yes, this picture is me with Elva. I was about 10 years old.)

 

Elva and Sharon were not only my friends, they were my mentors. I looked up to both of these ladies so much. I wanted to be like them, these two women missionaries to Bangladesh, India.

 

As part of helping me learn what missionaries do, they took me on a trip to one of their meetings to tell a church what they did in Bangladesh and asking for support from that church. And I loved every minute of it.

 

Part of our trip was to visit Old Sacramento for some fun time the next day after the meeting. I remember we started driving toward Old Sacramento but we got lost. This was back in the day when we didn’t have the GPS. Only maps and God.

 

Finally, after getting turned around and lost several times, we found a place to stop on the side of the road. We held hands as Elva prayed, “Dear God, we need your help to find our way. Help us to trust in you and not lean on our own understanding. Show us the way. Be our eyes and a light unto our path. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”

 

It wasn’t long after we got back on the road we saw where we had made our mistakes and eventually, we arrived at our destination.

 

Fast forward approximately 36 years later, when recently I took my husband to the airport. I have traveled this route many times over the past 20 years, but it has been awhile and they did some construction to the roads. I got lost.

 

Really lost. We got there fine. But I wanted to take my usual back route to stay off the major highways and I couldn’t find my way. He had the GPS.

 

I began to get scared and started to cry. I cried out to God for help but I just seemed to get more confused and wound up in downtown Charlotte — a place I had never been before by myself. I had absolutely no idea where I was.

 

Eventually I found a safe place to pull off and call my husband. He was able to tell me how to get back on track.

 

In all of this wandering around, I never thought to stop and really pray. I didn’t ask God to guide me but I leaned on my own understanding of what I remembered and knew. And because of that, I couldn’t get home. The trip that should have taken an hour and a half wound up taking me 3 hours.

 

This morning I was reminded of my time with Elva and Sharon. I remembered how we stopped and specifically asked God to lead us in His understanding and His way, instead of our own and I remembered how we trusted completely in Him.

 

What a precious, precious Scripture. But I don’t always treasure it or view it as precious. I know it so well, have heard it so often, read it, believed it and had it memorized very early in life. Yet, when I really needed the rewards of the Scripture, I didn’t even think to use it.

Trust is so vital in our relationship with the Lord. It reminds me of a child holding its father or mother’s hand and resting in the knowledge that they will never let her go. Do you remember holding your fathers (or mothers) hand, looking up at him and smiling because you knew he was going to protect you and get you safely to your destination?

 

That’s what Jesus wants to do for us. He takes our hand into His huge one and says, “Trust me. I’ve got you. I’m not letting go.”

 

I will always cherish my time with my two special friends. I don’t know where they are now (though I suspect Elva is with the Lord), but I still keep them in my heart and will always love them for teaching me how to walk closely with God.

 

Lord, help us to remember to trust only in You this week and not to lean on our understanding. May we acknowledge that You know what is best and You know the way and You will take us safely on the path You want us to take.

 

From My Heart to Yours,

Marcie