Good, Guiding Father

Isaiah 58: 11 (NIV) “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

It was a random Tuesday, in the middle of my workday, when I looked down and saw I’d received a text from my sister-in-law, Tara. Curious what she was texting about, I immediately checked the message and found the question, “Hey, do you want to go to Disney World with us in a few weeks? See if you can get off work, we’d love for you to go”. Elated about the invitation, I sought out my boss to ask for the days off from work (to which he obliged) and immediately found myself immersed in researching all things Disney. I was so excited! I’d never been, and the trip couldn’t have come at a better time. Ironically, at that moment, I had no idea just how much God would teach me during those four days about His good, guiding love.

For multiple reasons, but mostly so I could take plenty of photos and videos while on the trip, I purchased a new iPhone in the days before we left. I knew this trip would provide memories that I would want to capture as I experienced Disney World for the very first time with my Mom, brother, sister-in-law, and nieces/nephew. As we departed from our hotel room one morning, I snapped this quick picture of my brother walking, hand in hand, with my nieces. This is an image that symbolizes so much—more on that later.

Each day during our trip we departed the hotel room in the early morning hours to head to one of the parks. Though they didn’t actually know the path or the required stops along the way to get to our desired destination, my nieces, two and four years old, were always so filled with joy and excitement they would dart ahead of the adults. They were quickly reminded to wait for us, to which they responded by walking back and reaching up to grab one of our hands. And, almost every time, it was their daddy’s hand they wanted to hold.

My favorite day was our trip to Magic Kingdom. There is so much wonder and excitement associated with the moment you turn the corner and the Magic Kingdom Castle comes into full view. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could just click our heels and be transported to our destination without having to go through the process of getting from the hotel room to the park? Absolutely, but, if you’ve ever been to Disney World yourself (or any theme park for that matter), you know what you have to go through in order to experience the magic awaiting you.

The morning of our trip to Magic Kingdom, we emerged from the room to walk to the bus stop, waited in line, boarded and survived the bumpy ride to the park. After stepping off the bus, we had to walk a distance to the entrance. From there, we were stopped again to have our belongings checked by security. There were lines requiring us to wait, again. Once we passed through this necessary stop, we were finally free to explore the park. As expected, the crowd was a little overwhelming, especially for the little ones who can so easily get lost in the hustle and bustle of people and all the things competing for their attention as we tried to make our way to the Magic Kingdom Castle, the ultimate destination for everyone entering the park.

After getting through all the security that day, I vividly remember hearing my sister-in-law say, “Just wait until we round the corner up here. Then you’ll be able to see the castle, and it’s amazing!” Just up ahead of me, my nieces were holding their daddy’s hand as we rounded the corner in the crowd to see the Magic Kingdom Castle come into full view. It was in that moment, God spoke to my heart.

“Katie, hold my hand. Walk with me. I know it may be scary and overwhelming at times because you can only see a few steps in front of you, but I can see it all. I know the path. I have a great plan for you. I am protecting you, and I promise to walk with you every step of the way. Listen for my voice. Take one step at a time. Trust me.”

This moment at Magic Kingdom painted such a surreal picture of my struggle in this life. Maybe you can relate. I often find myself wishing I could see the bigger picture. I want to see and know where God is leading me, but, like my nieces, I am learning that taking my Father’s hand and trusting Him through the process is exactly where I need and want to be. Though I know my final destination, spending eternity in Heaven with Jesus, He knows the challenges and obstacles I will have to face on my journey to get there. When I try to run up ahead of God, I end up lost, hurting, frustrated, and confused (or any other number of emotions that can be inserted here). I am so thankful for a loving Father that, despite my stubbornness and sometimes independent “I can do this on my own” attitude, He always calls me back to Him and reaches down to take my hand.

I love the innocence and trusting hearts of little children. You see, I know my nieces trust their daddy with their whole being. That day, in their smallness and in the midst of a crowded park with so many obstacles between them and the castle, they were only able to see a few steps in front of them. But, while holding their daddy’s hand, they trusted him to lead them through anything they might encounter, to the ultimate destination, the Magic Kingdom Castle. My brother is a wonderfully, amazing daddy to his girls. He loves them so deeply and unconditionally and would give his life for them. Yet, his love for them is but a grain of sand compared to the unconditional, perfect love of our Father in Heaven.

What is it in your life right now that’s blocking your view of the ultimate destination, distracting your attention and keeping you from trusting God’s plan for your life? Maybe He is calling you out of your comfort zone, and you’re afraid to say yes because you can’t quite see the whole picture of how things will work out. Maybe it’s a stressful job, a strained relationship, or an unexpected medical diagnosis that has led you to want to take matters into your own hands. In those moments, instead of allowing the enemy to use those things to steer us off the path God has for our lives, let us be intentional to reach up and take hold of His hand. He is there, and His hands are open, ready to receive ours. Though I struggle every single day, I am certain of this truth—He is a good, guiding, and loving Father. Trust Him, say yes to Jesus, reach up and He will guide us, hand in hand, through all of our messes, to our ultimate destination, the Kingdom of Heaven.