Mom, Close Your Eyes

My house is really not that big. In fact, it's getting smaller by the minute. So, I can see most of it from my bedroom. I can actually see the front door from inside my shower. There are not a lot of surprises, except when the children are trying to surprise us. We get what every other parent gets, "Come see what I did...close your eyes." This means it's going to be good. It's either a ridiculous mess, a semi-clean mess, something that requires the Magic Eraser, or something that you will say, um, something like, "Guys, I know that you were trying to surprise Mommy, but we don't paint on the walls unless you have Mommy's permission." It could go like that, or sometimes it is a good surprise. Today it was a reminder.

I was finishing up reading an e-mail and the kids found me (they do that alot!). "Mom, come here, you gotta come see this." So of course I finished what I was doing and allowed Julia to take me by the hand to lead me. Naturally she said, "You have to close your eyes. Don't look at all, O.K. Mommy? Don't look." Then my daughter that I have trusted with my eyes closed, let's go and tells me to continue following! Why do I have to have my eyes closed if you aren't going to lead me???

Immediately a hymn that we sang last night came to mind,
"He leadeth me, He leadeth me, By His own hand He leadeth me." That was a quick picture of the reality of that line. Sometimes it is blind faith, but our hands are still tucked inside the hand that fashioned the universe and created us in our mother's womb. It was a picture to me of how God says, "Come on, you are going to love this." Don't you feel like that? Like you just close your eyes and follow? Only, the hand can be trusted. My children will lead me into walls, I will trip over shoes, I could break something or someone if I don't keep one eye open when they aren't looking. This wonderful passage in Isaiah comes to mind, it's very familiar, as it should be, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10, or this one (I always have to sing it because that is how I memorized it) "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:2-3a That is some GREAT news!!!

God is not my 3 year old trying to surprise me with how clean her room is, or how big the fort is, or how messy her sister is. God is God and He is trying to show me how big He is, how massive His power is, and how deeply in love with me He is. So, I'll take his hand, I'll close my eyes and I will walk in confidence. Not because of what I know, but because of who I know, and I know that He is leading me.

Are you scared? Think He's leading you someplace and you aren't sure where? You can trust Him. The wind and the waves obey Him. He spoke the universe into exsistence. I'm sure He will hold you tight. Close your eyes...it's gonna be good.