I was twelve, and Dad kept his promise.
Dad loved to hunt and eat squirrel, and wanted me to also. I heard the hinges squeak on my bedroom door as Dad peeked his head in to wake me. He didn’t have to call my name. I had been awake for hours.
The air hung heavy with humidity yet still emitted a fall crispness. Stately oaks greeted us, and moss covered their branches like a quilt on a cold winter night. But I couldn’t see any of this when we arrived. Daylight was at least an hour away.
We walked slowly through the woods. Dew decorated the limbs of the small scrub bushes, giving me a brief shower every time Dad let one flap my way. I followed Dad’s flashlight beam as it scattered across the forest floor and pranced through the treetops.
Finally, Dad found the right place for me. “Sit here and wait,” he said, and he walked off to find his tree.
God had a habit of walking with Adam and Eve, perhaps daily. He created humanity for fellowship, so this would only be natural. Then sin entered. Satan tempted the couple, and they gave in to the one thing God asked them not to do. Sin broke their intimate fellowship. God removed the couple from the garden, placed angels at its entrance, and provided skins for their newly-discovered nakedness.
God wants the same type of relationship with everyone, just as He had with Adam and Eve. I, like Adam and Eve, have often messed up God's walk with me. I’ve sinned and not confessed. I’ve gotten too busy in other things—even good things. I’ve focused too much on relationships with others. I could go on. You probably could too.
The good news is—just like walking with my dad until he found the right place for me—none of the past or present can hinder my walk with God unless I choose to let it. God is in the restoration business, as He proved with the first couple. No matter what we’ve done, past or present, He can cover it so the walks can continue. All we have to do is give it to Him.
If something is messing up your walk with God, ask Him to remove it.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author who has been published in numerous publications. He also serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net. He is the author of six books. His most recent book, Don’t Just Live...Really Live, was released in November 2021. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of six. He can be contacted at [email protected].