When a child first learns to walk, his parent holds his hands, helping him keep his balance and encouraging him (if not coaxing him) to take the next step. So it is early in a faith walk, where everything seems so wonderfully new and exciting, and God feels so incredibly close.

Then, as the child gains more confidence and is ready to take those first steps on their own, the parent hold his hands more loosely until finally they let go of his hands altogether. They’re always ready to catch him if he falls, but they’re giving him the chance to grow and explore on his own.

Sometimes as we face challenges, I think God’s presence is more easily felt than at others, and that’s dependent on how tightly we’re holding on to the situation. With my current struggle, God chose to take something away that I deeply wanted. The pain I feel is directly related to how hard it is for me to let it go, and trust that His plan is better than mine was. I believe that it is, but until I let go of my plan, I can’t be fully aligned with His.

Anyway, thanks for the interesting insights and conversation!