Never Alone

“He lifted me out of the pit of despair,

out of the mud and the mire.

He set my feet on solid ground

and steadied me as I walked along.”

Psalm 40:2

As a parent, my goal is to prepare my children to step into the world as independent entities, capable of making smart decisions and functioning without me. For instance, when a child asks me to put on their coat or shoes, I say no and remind them “You can do it yourself.” We often draw many comparisons between the parenting relationship and our relationship with Christ, but recently God reminded me of a huge difference. During a meditative prayer, He spoke to me and said, “I will always carry you. Never will I tell you to walk on your own. Or do it yourself. I will never refuse to lift you up and comfort you, and draw you over whatever obstacle lies in your path. I am always here, and my arms are always outstretched to you.”

When engaged in meditative prayer, it is important to always compare and back up words received with Scripture. Over and over, I see examples of the Lord carrying, lifting, tirelessly rescuing his people. Psalm 40:2 is one such example I love: “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” All this stopped me in my tracks. It also made me consider that, while continuing to encourage my children to complete basic, physical tasks, I need to ensure they see that their mom must rely on the strength of God for everything she does and everything she is. It is important they know they will never be alone as long as they trust in Jesus.