MORAL OF THE STORY:

“God is by your side. He is the Friend who will go with you. He will ease your hurt and bring you contentment. He will never leave you. He is waiting with open arms.”

— Susan Miller

“God didn’t bring me this far in life to just suddenly drop me on the curb,” a friend said to me. “I just have to remember that, again and again.”

When I asked her to tell me more, she shared the challenges in her life and how she felt abandoned by others. She said that as long as she remembered that God was with her and she wasn’t going through life alone, she wasn’t overwhelmed by fear.

I told her a story about when our granddaughter Mary was learning to swim when she was 2 years old.

One day I took her to the community pool to play where there were at least a dozen others sunning or swimming. Mary’s mom had told me to put her on the little step, and to back away a short distance and have her swim to me. We did that a few times, and each time I sneaked a bit farther away and Mary was proud of her ability to swim to me. All was fine and good until the distance suddenly seemed overwhelming to her. She didn’t budge from the step and a look of panic came over her. Suddenly she yelled out, loud enough for everyone to hear, ”No, don’t go! You can’t leave me here Cici! I’m your granddaughter!”

I made a beeline back for her and assured her that of course I wouldn’t leave her.

My friend and I talked about the fact that sometimes people do let us down, but God never does and never will. When we remember His faithfulness to us in the past, we can go forward without being afraid. We don’t have to fear at all, God is waiting with arms wide open.

And you can quote me on that.

CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON may be reached at cindy@onthegrow.com or 537 Newport Center Drive, Box 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.