Stepping Stones of Grace

As a child I would spend hours playing in the creek near my grandfather’s home. The creek was a shady, wet oasis to carry me through the hot summers. I would catch crawdads only to quickly drop them back into their watery sanctuary with a little shriek after being firmly pinched on the finger or palm. I caught tadpoles and minnows with my bare hands and then promptly released them because I could not stand to watch the poor little things wiggle and struggle for air. Sometimes I would sit under the bridge and excitedly wait for a car to drive over so that I could peer up at its undercarriage through the gaps between the bridge planks. The sound of the wheels going over the old wooden bridge echoed loudly in my ears.

One of my favorite activities at the creek was to walk south along its length, away from Papa’s house, where the water became deeper and raced faster, especially after a big rain. At this spot the creek was dotted with large stones that stuck out above the rushing water. It was here where I would cheerfully remove my sandals and leap from one stone to the other crossing the width of the creek multiple times. I never began by stepping gingerly or carefully planning my route. I would just take off, thinking only of my very next maneuver. Somehow I always ended up finding, quite by accident, a pattern along the rocks. Then I would zig and zag, back and forth, from one bank of the creek to the other giggling and singing as I went.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 16:9: The heart of man plans his ways, but the LORD establishes his steps. It is difficult to be a faithful Christian in this world and culture! I have often found myself thinking “I’m weary and tired of swimming against the cultural tide”. Recently, God reminded me of my play at Papa’s creek and used the reminder to quiet my heart. This world is like a rushing creek, threathening to sweep the Christian  away in temptation and sins, such as greed, lust, apathy. But God has made a way to rise above the dark, dangerous waters of sin and worldliness. Where there is the murky depths of materialism and consumerism, God provides the stepping stone of compassionate sacrifice. When the Christian encounters lust, God provides a stepping stone of purity. In the midst of the dark trials of  life, God gives his children stepping stones of grace. He does not leave us to navigate and tread the waters alone, but He provides a way for us to rise above the rushing waters. He makes our footing sure and our path secure if we only keep our eyes and hearts fixed on Him.

Over the years I can clearly see where I have made a plan in my heart, but God has graciouslyand wisely intervened to establish my steps. It is because of His unwavering faithfulness that I have real peace. I have peace even though I don’t know exactly what the future holds for our family or even where we will be living in a year. I have peace because I know that, unlike my childish self, God plans well beyond the next maneuver and He knows exactly where I am going. He has established those steps for my good and His glory.