On Friday, we received the wonderful pleasure of watching a precious girl walk across the stage twice:  once to be “pinned” and honored from the Carver School of Social Work and then once to be handed her Social Work degree.  Truly, it was a sight to behold!  We are so proud of our precious Carley who never gave up, even when the pursuit of a college degree took a new direction. Still she sensed God’s right hand holding onto her.

Making Friday’s occasion even more special was the opportunity I was given to walk in the graduation processional with her.  She sat with the other graduates while I sat with the faculty. As I pondered what brought us to this moment, I knew there was only one answer:  God.

As we go throughout our days, saying “life happens” is stating the obvious mildly because this “life” that “happens” can often knock us down on our backside.  Thank goodness, we have a God that catches us before we fall all the way down to the ground.  God caught this young graduate, placed her back upon her feet so she could stand again, helped her get going again as He led her along the path He designed for her, and as she walked in obedience, God was honored.  Clearly, this “happening life” will “happen” whether we walk with God or not; however, as we cling to our Savior, His right hand takes hold of us and never lets us go. 

After the pinning ceremony, we headed to lunch in the Winter’s Dining Hall, and since I had walked a couple of blocks to reach the church, I told the group that I would walk back and meet them there.  That’s when my sister and four-year-old niece and husband decided to join me in the walk.  Down the church steps, down the sidewalk, across the highway, down a second sidewalk, across a second busy highway, down the third sidewalk, and finally we reached the venue where lunch was to be enjoyed.  As we walked down the sidewalks, Clementine had no trouble following the path because the sidewalk paved the way.  However, as we came to those two busy highways to cross, my sister (Clementine’s Gran) spoke those words we have all heard:  “Take someone’s hand as you cross the street,” and just as children are taught to do, Clementine allowed me to grab ahold of her hand as we stepped across the unmarked path—the busy highway—to reach the sidewalk and the safety found in reaching the other side.

Is that not what God expects of His children, of us?!

Our souls cling to Him as we walk through life, and it’s such a beautiful, freeing walk!

Then we reach a new adventure, a busy highway we must cross, a scary moment, a new way God wants us to go, and we know that we could become overcome with dangerous anxiety, crippling fear, or quaking panic, so we cling even tighter to our LORD, and as we do, then the most-amazing realization comes to us.

God’s right hand takes ahold of us!

In fact, once we give our hearts to the Father, He never lets His child go!

Clinging to God is so wise.

Somehow, we finally figure out that truth.

As we do, we realize the far-greater truth:  His eternal grip on us!

One preacher who lived and preached during America’s Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards, said it like this:

“Resolution One:  I will live for God.

Resolution Two:  If no one else does, I still will.”

God gave us His best—His Only Son—Jesus!

God came to earth in the form of a babe so we could receive His gift of Salvation and know Him in relationship through His Only Son Jesus Christ the Messiah!

We must give God time, the best part of our time and not our left-over parts.  Today.  Tomorrow.  Tomorrow after Tomorrow, and then, the next tomorrow after that tomorrow and also then . . .  We get the picture, right?  Some people may look at us as we do, scratch their heads, and wonder “why.”  When they ask, amazingly, we receive the opportunity to testify of the mighty God we serve.  That’s when we can tell those who ask the truth found in our Savior.

Christmastime is a wonderful time to speak Jesus!

Advent is a glorious season to speak how the Messiah came to earth!

Now is a perfect time to speak of the second coming of our Lord!

As we testify, may we give God the best parts of us and not the left-over parts.

As we testify, may we speak:

• How God sent Jesus, His only Son to earth,
• How God gave His best so that we might come to know Him in a personal relationship.
• How God wants to know them in personal relationship too.

May we resolve to live for God.

May we also resolve to live for God even when no one else does.

• It is a truth:  God gave us His Great Commission for this very reason!
• It is a truth:  We might need to cross scary streets, go to unknown places, & even speak with strangers.
• It is a truth:  We might just stumble and feel as if we are falling onto our backside.

NEVERTHELESS—

• It is also an AMAZING TRUTH:  GOD holds us by His righteous, right hand!
• It is also an AMAZING TRUTH:  GOD never lets us go!
• It is also an AMAZING TRUTH:  GOD expects us to walk as He leads.

We need never forget how we should give nothing less than our BEST to GOD!