I love to hold hands, don’t you. There’s something intimate about holding the hand of another securely within the palm of our hand. In fact, if someone were to ask me what is most beautiful to witness, walking hand-in-hand would be my choice.
Just last night, at VBS, a sweet couple who have been married several years, walked from their vehicle toward the church—hand-in-hand, and it was a beautiful sight. 
This makes me ponder WHY.  Yes, why would hand-holding be so lovely? &. Why would hand-holding be so important for our future?
Let’s “play imagine” for a minute today.  Imagine a bright, sunny Saturday, and several people are gathered to share the day, sitting with grandma on her front porch.  There is much chatter, so many words to say, so much catching up to do because one family represented on the porch has not been able to travel for a few weeks, not since the birth of their baby boy.  See grandma there (on the porch) holding the new Baby Boy, and see mom sitting there too (beside grandma), talking with the others and sharing all that’s new.
Then, hear the rumble of a Subaru pull in the drive and see someone new arrive. Yes, our eyes do not lie—-it is “the silly-at-times aunt” who has arrived.   We know her, she’s the aunt all families seem to have, the one who provides entertainment at times (even when she’s not trying). She often provides the laughter, as the family chuckles over her past silly antics.
“Aunt ______,” a child on the porch cries out as this particular aunt arrives.  Both know that playtime is just ahead (for the both of them), just as they’ve always enjoyed.

Now, see the aunt enjoy the family’s chit-chat, and see her stand by the porch, not taking a seat because she has not come to sit, but to play.
So—-at the first opportunity—-the aunt asks the little girl (who is now sitting on the lap of her uncle who has been reading her a favorite child’s book), “Do you want to go swing across the street?”
“Ask your mommy if it’s okay,” the aunt instructs.
“Sure, mommy replies, but hold Aunt ______’s hand,” and so the two do just that—–hold hands. See them walk across the grass and down the small hill. See the two of them stop at the street, look left and right, and then left again. See the two of them cross the street (hand-in-hand) to where the swing set waits for their time of play. After several pushes of the swing, and many slides down the slide, it’s time to go home (time to cross over to the other side).

Now, let’s pause to consider the most wonderful part—-children who learn to hold hands with another, who learn to actively participate in the hand-holding and who don’t constantly attempt to pull away from the adult’s hand, these children are the ones who sense the security found within the one who is holding their hand.
Yes, it is a fact.

There is a huge difference between actively allowing our hand to be held by another &

Only tolerating another to hold our hand.

Let’s think about it.  Let’s see the difference in our minds.  Clearly see one child pulling away; observe the parent tugging against the child’s arm; see the parent straining to hold onto the child’s hand, see how he strives to keep the child close to his side; and watch the child pull away from the parent.
Then see another image, a MOST BEAUTIFUL IMAGE.

See the child obediently walking close beside the parent, close beside the ONE who is leading the way; sense the slight pressure both feel, as if the One is saying to the child, “I love you. Can you sense my love through my fingers entwined within yours?”

A Most Beautiful Part of Our Lives—-Hand-Holding—-The Most Beautiful Part of Every Life.

As we might imagine, God’s Word has much to say about hand-holding. 
How do we come to God?  How do we begin to accept & know God as our Father?
It begins with so little effort on our part.  God has already prepared everything. God has already accomplished everything. God has already done everything necessary—-even before we imagine coming to Him.

Our part is really so small.
We Come Just As We Are.
Nothing more is required.  We do not need to improve ourselves, to clean up our lives, to buy the right clothing, or to learn the correct verbiage, or even to study any scripture to prepare ourselves.
We simply COME….JUST AS WE ARE.

SO, LET US IMAGINE FOR JUST ONE MORE MOMENT…..We are going along, and suddenly, we realize that there is something missing, something we are totally without, something others (the Christians) seem to enjoy, and it’s terrifying when we realize (through the Holy Spirit’s leading) just exactly what we lack. And, quite simply, we are scared to be without this ONE THING, even for one more day.
So we stop moving, and we look up—looking toward the direction we are going in our lives, realizing our inevitable future. Then we sense, just over our shoulder, the presence of another, coming after us. Yes, we really SEE JESUS coming after us!
Our part is really so small. We only need to turn around fully toward Jesus.
We just need to turn and stand Just As We Are, as we watch Jesus come after us.
In a split-second’s time, we decide!!! Then we place our hand in Jesus’ hand, allowing Him to firmly take us by His hand to lead us home.
That is God’s grace.  Isn’t it beautiful !!!!!!!
God’s grace receives us Just As We Are.

In God’s Word, we find God’s Promise, such a glorious peace—–

Jesus is There.  Right Here.  Coming After Us. Knocking gently upon our heart’s door.

• Will we allow Him to come into our heart and become our LORD?
• Will we allow Him to have our heart forever?
• Will we turn and place our hand into His, allowing Him to walk with us as we go through the rest of our lives?
• Will we trust Him to walk with us hand-in-hand……Home to Heaven?

The psalmist David even spoke of this wonderful image of God’s hand-holding, of this eternal security for our soul.

• May we look up with spiritual eyes to see the ONE who is coming after us.
• May we stop running away from the ONE, striving (as we often do) to go our own way, the opposite way.
• May we stop running. &
• May we stand….Just As We Are.
• May we open our eyes to see Jesus…..coming after us (just as He promised that He would do).
• May we allow our hand to be taken into Jesus’ nail-scarred hand. & then…
• May we walk with Jesus, not straining away in obstinate stubbornness, but let us walk and talk, joyfully by our Savior’s side, enjoying His presence, watching…..as God makes known our path of life & then walks us home.

Most Assuredly, Hand-Holding with Jesus…The most beautiful part of every person’s life !!!