The other day while walking in the park, I observed a mother walking with her small son.  He couldn''t have been more than three and he was enjoying the park immensely.  Soon, they began to walk on the hiking trail and I noticed that the mom had to stop numerous times to remind her son to keep up.  But there were so many distractions! There were birds and butterflies, puppies and frogs - so many things to see, that in no time at all the little boy would lag behind once again.  That is until he saw me approaching in the distance.

It was so comical to see the look on his face as he looked to see how close I was to him and his mother.  When I was a long way off, he would glance at me suspiciously and his face seemed to say "I think you are the stranger my mom warned me about".  I tried to ease his anxious heart by giving him a warm smile but that only caused him to trot faster to keep up with his mother.  In fact, the closer I got to them, the faster he trotted.  By the time, I got close enough to pass by them, he was at her side with his hand tucked securely in hers, as though to say,  "You may be a stranger but you are not tough enough for my mom!"

I walked on by silently smiling and reflecting on what I had just observed.  How similar our behavior is when we are walking through life with God.  When everything is going well, we may sometimes have a tendency to get distracted and forget to keep up with Him.  He is often calling to us, reminding us to follow closely and not to allow distance to come between us -  just as the mother had done with her son.  But as soon as we sense danger, if we are wise, we learn to tuck our hand securely in God''s so that any harm intended for us must first come through Him.

Oh to have the wisdom to always walk with our hand securely tucked into God''s hand, during the good times and the difficult times.  When we do, the good times become better and the difficult times are faced with confidence because we know that our God is there fighting our battles and keeping us safe.  The Psalmist said it like this:

"I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word.  You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees....Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path...Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble."  (Psalms 119:67-68, 105, 165)

As you journey through the days ahead, be intentional about seeking to stay in God''s presence.  When you do, His Holy Spirit will guide you on the best path for your life.  After all, He is the good Shepherd and He loves you.