I had just pulled into a parking space in front of my office building, located directly across from a small elementary school. As I got out of the car, I was surprised when a little boy ran up to me.
“Will you take me across the street?” he pleaded. When I smilingly agreed, he put his small hand confidently into mine. A moment later, he ran safely into the school.
The child had obviously taken to heart his parents’ warnings never to cross the road alone. Although I’m sure they would have been horrified by his readiness to trust a stranger, he picked the right person.
When we stop to think of it, we all live in a world peopled by strangers. It’s only when we reach out a hand that strangers can become friends.
Isaiah creates a moving picture of our Father in heaven taking us by the hand when we face uncertainties, whether a new job, a new relationship, or a new year (Isaiah 41:13).
It is all too easy to place our trust in the wrong individual or even in ourselves. So often, we have crossed the street without consulting our God and then bitterly regretted it. Only He knows the way that we should go. That’s why He lovingly offers His helping hand. All you need to do is reach out and take it.
Deborah Meroff served as a missionary writer and photographer for thirty years. While based in London, she was privileged to visit 115 countries and publish scores of articles and a dozen books in various languages. She now resides in Maine, USA.