My little Emma-Grace loved to hold hands. Most nights she wanted to go to sleep holding my hand. Each night she would ask to be beside my bed. She was still in a crib which luckily had wheels on it. I would roll the crib beside my bed and lay beside her and we would hold hands until she dozed off. If I was busy and could not lie down yet she still wanted me to roll the crib over beside my bed. That way when I did go to bed, if she awoke in the night, she could reach over to touch me and I would then hold her hand until she could go back to sleep.
During the day Emma-Grace constantly wanted to be held. When we went somewhere she would want to walk beside someone in the family and hold their hand that is if she was not being held. She is what I like to call a Velcro baby. She was constantly attached to someone. I have to admit that there were more times than one that I found this to be frustrating. On the day she got sick her last words to me were "hold me mommy, hold me". Looking back I am thankful for her clinging nature. I am grateful for every minute that God let me hold that wonderful little girl. She helped me realize how precious even the smallest moments in life are.
I remember when my older children were younger thinking that if I had only know the day that they were going to ask me to hold them for the last time, before they grew too big, I would have held them longer. I would have rocked them more. I would have slowed down and spent more time doing just "silly stuff". However before I knew it, they are growing older, getting heavier and being “big” kids that didn’t need me as much.
As children of God he is always present for us. The good thing is we can never be too young or too old. It doesn't matter how little or how long we have been a Christian. We can have small problems or big problems. God doesn't care. If we call out His name He will be there for us. That may be to walk beside us, to hold our hand or carry us. He is and will be whatever we need at the moment. Praise God! I know I could not have made it through the last 5 months without His presence in my life. I often wonder how people survive difficulties without God.
Isaiah 41:10 10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
There's something about physical touch that brings comfort and stability in an uncertain world. God designed us to feel comfort from the touch of others. I don't mean that in an inappropriate way. I just think that in this techno world that we live in now, we have forgotten the importance of reaching out to those in need. We text or e-mail each other instead of picking up the phone and actually talking to someone. I am just as guilty as anyone of this. We have become so busy with our own lives we can't see that there are people in need all around us.
The New Testament is filled with stories of Jesus touching those around Him. He laid His hands on women who had been scorned, the sick who needed healing, children dancing at His feet and lepers ashamed of their bodies. The mere touch of Him healed the physically and spiritually sick. I picture His hands always reached out to someone. What a beautiful picture that is.
There are times in our lives that we aren't sure if we can face another minute or even take another step alone. Things are utter chaos in our lives. We may be facing discouragement, sickness, financial distress, unemployment, death, depression or things no one knows except for us and God. How excited our Heavenly Father would probably be if we would just look up and ask for Him to hold us during our time of need. His hands are waiting. We just have to be willing to reach out to them. Praise God for His willingness to take care of us.
I pray that as a child of God, He will make me more aware of those around me that are in need of someone to "care". And that I will be willing to be the hands and feet of God and provide the healing touch they might need.
"The LORD replied, my precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." Footprints in the sand by Carolyn Carty, 1963
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