As I was cleaning out the pen of the girl’s miniature pony, they were bouncing around the barn, playing with the hose and doing what
toddlers do when given the freedom to explore.
Suddenly I heard Madi yelling, so I looked out to find her standing on
the top of the gate yelling, “ROY! ROY!”
She wanted Roy, the horse, to come up from the pasture so
she could see him. As passionately as she
was yelling, you would think her relationship with Roy was like the Lone Ranger
and his horse Silver, inseparable. But that’s
not an accurate description of Madi and Roy.
Madi calls for Roy every time we go to the barn, but as soon
as Roy gets up close and personal, Madi’s fear kicks in, and she quickly backs
off. She loves him from afar and
believes she wants him to come closer, until he does, and then she wants no part
of him.
Her relationship with Roy is much like our relationship with
faith in God. I can’t count the number
of times I’ve stood on the proverbial gate and screamed for God to come closer,
to answer this prayer or grant me that prayer. But as soon as he gets close and
invites me to step out on faith, fear takes hold and convinces me I’m not in
God’s will and I better just stay in my lane.
We think we want a deep abiding faith in God until we are given
the opportunity to step out and exercise that faith. When a step of faith gets
up close and personal, suddenly we aren’t so sure we want to take that step, and
we freeze in fear instead.
Madi could embrace Roy, and the likelihood is he will give
her a nuzzle with his soft nose and want her to respond with the same sort of
attention, or maybe even a treat. Or she could embrace him, and he might decide
to ignore her and walk away.
But when God comes close, His nuzzle is more love, more
grace, more kindness. He will never walk
away. He only wants a closer relationship with us, and He continues to come
closer and closer in hopes that we will step out in that faith and trust him
with our lives and everything in it.
Scream as loud as you want, or whisper your request through
tears of anguish; God is right there with you. He knows every thought and hears
every plea and is just waiting for you to take a step into fellowship with him.
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