I’ll walk with God

by | Jun 10, 2014 | 2014 | 0 comments

Just less than a month ago, I lost a dearly loved soul mate, my husband Eben.

He had battled bravely with a terminal illness, but thankfully his suffering is now past. I miss him deeply, but I know I will see him again in the resurrection.

We were a small family group standing on the beach as we scattered Eben’s ashes into the sea. Then I threw two red roses onto the water and we watched as they floated gently out on the breeze, all the time alongside each other until they finally disappeared amongst the rocks. It occurred to me that that was a beautiful illustration of the 14 years we spent together.  We joined a local choir, arranged seniors’ outings, attended church, and had long involved discussions on anything from world affairs to eternal life. We walked along the beach together and often prayed together.

Some older readers may remember the movie The Student Prince, a romantic musical of the 50s. The young prince stood in front of his father’s coffin and resolved to “walk with God from this day on.” He had been studying at the University of Heidelberg, but after his father’s death, he had to take his place as king. With his hopes of marrying the beautiful barmaid dashed to pieces, he would  remain resolute and carry out his duties with the help of God. (I saw the movie 5 times and cried each time).

One line of the song stands out in my memory – “This is my prayer, my humble plea. May the Lord be ever with me.”

Of course, Jesus is always with us. He promised to never leave or forsake us. The triune God is not limited by time or space. He is everywhere – alongside us in our grief and sorrow, as well as in our joys and delights. But we still walk in an evil world where Satan holds sway. So how can we walk with God when he sometimes appears to be anywhere but with us?

Paul advises the Ephesians to direct their thoughts towards things of beauty – whatever is excellent, lovely, praiseworthy. Personally, I find that I can sometimes counter the mood of doubt and loneliness by looking at the intricate design in all God’s creation. The little bird on my patch of lawn knows exactly where to search for food, and takes to the air with perfect aerodynamics. The clouds rolling by on a windy day remind me that there is Someone who directs the affairs of nature. That Someone is never absent, has never ‘gone fishing’. I often envision the earth from somewhere in space – a colourful, silver and blue orb, teeming with life, in contrast to the other planets, all dead, dry and dusty. Did the Creator just perform a cosmic experiment? No, God is always near, and he says he never changes. But our emotions, however strong, are not always reliable.

Philip Yancey, in his book Prayer – does it make any difference, says: “My feelings of God’s presence, or God’s absence – are not the presence or the absence. Whenever I sink into guilt over my inadequate prayers, or turn away in disappointment when a prayer goes unanswered, I remind myself that prayer means keeping company with God who is already present.”1

Keeping company with God is the way to go for me. I have been greatly blessed with church family, physical family and friends, and I sometimes have human company as I take my regular walks along the beach.
But sometimes I just have Jesus for company. I don’t always feel his presence, but when I see those small birds hopping around I remember he created them and he even knows how many feathers each of them has. When the waves crash against the rocks, I am reminded of his power. When the skies are cloudy, I’m reminded that Jesus will return in clouds, just as he departed in them. And when he returns, he will restore all things.

Good things are in store, not just for me but for everyone.  

1.    Prayer – does it make any difference?   Philip Yancey © 2006 page 43.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *