Held

Natalie Grant has a song called Held which reminds us that even when life is at its lowest, we have the promise of the hand of God holding us up. When I am feeling low, I think of verses that support this message. In Isaiah 41, God declares, “For I am the LORD, your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Alone in my room, or in the car, I might actually hold a hand into the air.

This is not simply an act of positive visualization – it is an acknowledgment of the who holds the world in his hands – the only one who can lift me out of my despondency. And I am a heavy lift sometimes. For the truth is I can be quite comfortable in a state of sadness. Rather than lifting my hand to God, I might go to the freezer door where a carton of Ben and Jerrys offers immediate gratification. Or so goes my warped thinking.

But if I merely gaze upward, outstretch a hand, I am able to exhale and accept the love that has no earthly competitor. I am held.

When my mind frets in the middle of the night, I am held. When I am mentally and physically weary over the latest tribulation in my world or in the world itself, I am held. When the unthinkable happens, I am held.

And even when I pull that freezer door open, the one holding my hand whispers in my ear, “Hey, use a bowl…take small bites…and be satisfied in me. I am the creator of all good things including ice cream. Yes, even cookie dough.”

Will we choose to be held today?