As soon as my youngest son became a toddler, he didn't want me to hold his hand.  He was certain that he was quite capable of navigating stores, parks, and streets without me—and my insistence that he hold my hand in busy or potentially dangerous situations soon became a battle of wills.  Every ounce of him wanted to prove he was in no need of my help.

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Then one day, when we were about to cross a busy street, it occurred to me to turn it around.  "I'm not sure I want to cross this street by myself," I said to him, "so, could you hold my hand while I cross?"  He gladly took my hand and guided me across the street.  :-)  That worked for a while.  Now, as I approach my "golden years," I realize that someday I may actually need someone to hold my hand while I cross the street.  It's a sobering prospect.

 

But the Lord has shown me something in this.

 

When I was just a babe in the Lord, I realized my need for him. . . . But the day came when I was tempted to think I could go on adventures by myself—thank you very much.  (As a friend used to say, "I tell God, 'I've got this one.  No big deal.'")  Most of us do this—and when we get in a real bind, that's when we call out and want God to show up—but just to help us over the hump, right?

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The next phase is the part where so many of us become willing to let God tag along because we think he needs our help to do stuff.  Whatever would he do without us, right?

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The last part (and some never get to this one) is where you realize you simply need him.  Every hour.  Every day.  And that's when you can see it.  The King has been walking beside you all this time, unashamed to hold your hand, regardless of the circumstances.

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