Holding Hands!

"For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." (Isaiah 41:13 NIV)

Remember when...
After we crawled or scooted to move
From place to place until we found
The courage to wobble and hold onto
Whatever was sound, pulling up into a stand,
Getting ready to take that first step, but
First, someone--mom, dad, sibling--held our hand,
Or both, with our arms raised, hands held high,
We held them tight, afraid to let go, and we heard,
"Don't worry, I've got you, keep going."

From the cradle to the grave,
We've had to move from one point to the other,
Sometimes, fearful--but moving to go forward,
Building our courage and hope in God,
Once we know Him, we know we have no need to fear,
Following His instructions, obeying His voice,
Keeping our focus on Him and using the gifts He gives,
Plotting the path for our success and then we hear,
"Don't worry, I've got you. Keep going."

And then sometimes in our golden years,
When bones and muscles tend to yield
To aches of aging and we rely
Upon canes, wheelchairs, and sometimes,
Those who are younger and stronger,
Holding our hands as we cross a street,
And when unable to do so on our own,
Pulling us up, holding our hands, to our feet,
And we hear--if we can--
"Don't be afraid. I've got you. Keep going."

Remember when...
We first held hands with that special someone in our lives,
Taking that fearful step into romance, standing side by side.
When we first realized that God is always holding our hand,
With the greatest love anyone could offer and then we hear,
"Don't worry. I've got you. Keep going."

Every once in a while, we need to hold someone's hand,
Bringing them comfort, reminding them, they're loved,
And when they're afraid of life's events, we can say,
"Don't worry. I've got you. Keep going."

Grab a hand and hold it--don't let go,
Someone needs to know today,
They're not alone and someone cares,
Enough to stand with them, side-by-side,
Reminding them they have no reason to fear,
For perfect, unconditional love, makes no room
For fear or doubt or unbelief, in Him who says,
"I am The Lord, Your God, I've got your hand,
Don't be afraid, I'm here to help you."