When my girls were little, they would frequently raise their arms to me and plead “carry me.” Sometimes they were tired of walking but often they just wanted the comfort and security of being held close or the advantage of being adult height so they could see what was ahead. Occasionally my reply would be, “You’re a big girl; you need to walk, but I’ll hold your hand.” Sometimes the response would be whining or fussing, and refusing to take my hand. Still, I would grasp a small wrist and ensure they were safe beside me until the tantrum abated.
It’s been a long time since my girls were little. In fact, none of my grandchildren is even small enough to be carried or needs to hold a hand to keep from wandering off. But, we all get weary, stumble, or tend to wander off the beaten path sometimes, don’t we? And, at some point age catches up with us and limits our mobility. Or, perhaps our mental faculties start to fail us and we get lost and need rescuing.
I think about growing older. My husband will be retiring at the end of this year. We have lots of plans – things we can FINALLY get done, trips we want to take, and interesting pursuits we hope to explore. We want to get more physically fit so we increase our chances of living to a ripe old age. We talk a lot about where our grandkids lives will take them, what interests and careers they might pursue. I’m mostly looking forward to our growing old together.
What I try to keep at bay during these pleasant conversations is the thought that our younger daughter is no longer part of these plans. She will always be a part of my heart, my emotions, and my memories. But, her physical being, her opinions, her preferences, her ideas, her schedule, her relationships are not a factor in anything that I do for the rest of my life. Her absence is a heavy burden. How do I keep walking? How do I know what really lies ahead?
In Isaiah chapter 46, the prophet talks about the burdens the Israelites put on themselves by turning away from God. God gives Isaiah these words to say to them:
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you
Isaiah 46:4
Just like a little child, all I have to do is reach out to God and He will carry me. No matter how old and gray I get. He’s always right here to take my hand, even if I pull away in anger or grief. He will take me gently but firmly by the arm and rescue me from my dark thoughts, my fears, my burdens, my wanderings.
Carry me. Please.
Laura
A Light for My Path 
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