Letting Go Doesn't Mean Forsaking

Today, Jeshua refused to let me hold his hand when he walked in the mall. I kept trying to hold his hand in the midst of the crowd but he used his left hand to force me let go of mine.

I can't imagine a 17 months old toddler wanting to be independent. It's obvious that he doesn't have the ability to do so.

Yet one of the traits of being a loving father is to let go and let a child experience freedom of choices. Forcing a child to do what he doesn't want will only produce a rule-abiding child who has no genuine passion (No, I'm not talking about discipline here.)

As he insisted to walk by his own, I let him go. But I had to walk behind him to ensure that he was doing fine. I was waiting for the moment when he would stretch out his arm and asked me to hold him or carry him. Sometimes, he does it. Sometimes, he doesn't. Whether he does it or not, I'm always ready to stretch out my arm to hold him.

This speaks of how often we tend to think that we have the ability to stay independent of God the Father. We focus on what we want so much that we ignore the leading of God. We let go of His hand and choose our own way.

But He is a loving Father. Though we let go of Him, He never let go of us. He is walking behind us, ensuring that we do not fall so deep that we can't get up again. His arms are ever ready to embrace us. His hands are always stretched out, waiting for us to hold onto Him.

When we walk down the wrong path, it is not that God doesn't care. It is us who chose to be independent and let go of His hands. The moment we stretch out our hand, He grabs hold of it. He says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

We may let go of Him but He doesn't forsake us. What a loving Father we have!