The LORD directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the LORD holds them by the hand.
When you think about defining moments in your life, the first thing that pops into my mind are dates that I will never forget: November 22, 1963, October 17, 1989, 9/11/01. Those are the dates of John Kennedy’s assignation, the San Francisco earthquake, and the attack on the World Trade Center. Of course, there are personal dates such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and weddings. Nevertheless, those tragic moments of history are sealed in my memory.
But there are also events that I know more about than I thought I ever wanted to know. I was on a Curriculum Review Committee when my daughter was a freshman in high school. It was 1987 and one of our tasks was to review AIDS education. No one knew much about it at that time. The more I learned, the more I struggled with how to impart this information to grades K-12. It was overwhelming in scope and implications for each child.
I know more about divorce than I ever wanted to know. The devastation to family, friends, and colleagues ripples out like a pebble thrown into a pond touching everything and everyone. I know why God says He hates divorce.
Now I know more about depression than I thought possible. Living with someone who suffers from this disease is like riding on a roller coaster—inching slowly up into the darkness and then whooshing down around the curves so quickly that it nearly takes your breath away. And much like that ever-twisting ride, fear of the unknown smacks you in the face.
In those defining moments of your life, you have a choice. Sometimes I would rather run and hide. Other times, I try to reason and logically figure things out. Then there are the times, I just cry, spent with worry and fear, not having a clue what to do next.
In those moments of despair—Jesus. I can’t imagine going through any of it without Him. He is there with me. He is IN me. He holds on to my hand and leads me though the minefield of my life. And, He comforts and encourages me to keep on, keeping on.
I look out over the grandeur of the Catalina Mountains from my office window and know without a doubt who is in charge:
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.