Cliiffs, Ravines and the Hand of God

Several years ago, during a time that was very rough for me emotionally, I had a dream that has meant a lot to me since then. Part of the reason I was having such hard time was simply fear. I feared doing the wrong thing, in a variety of situations, and it was really hindering my life.

In my dream I was walking along a path. The path led alongside a building and as I followed this path I suddenly realized that, without me noticing, the ground alongside the path had dropped away and now I was on a narrow ledge looking into a deep ravine! The ravine was so deep I couldn't see the bottom and I was terrified. I looked ahead and the path stretched long beside this ravine. It was so narrow and I was so afraid of heights that I was sure I would become dizzy and fall long before I reached the other side. I looked back and the path to safety stretched just as long behind me. I looked to the other side of the ravine and saw that maybe I could jump across but it would be difficult and I might not make it. I stood in awful indecision, so afraid of making a wrong choice and plummeting to my death. Suddenly, hardly knowing when I had made the decision I jumped. And as I jumped, I awoke. And I was disappointed! I really wanted to know if I had made it to the other side. Somehow this dream seemed symbolic of everything I was going through and I wanted to know I would land safely. Why, I wondered, could I not have been given the assurance of landing safely? Then, almost as if it had been whispered in my ear the answer came to me. 

"I caught you, my child. You were, as you are now, safe in My hands. If you had, in your own strength walked to safety in either direction, or jumped to the other side, you would have felt secure in your own strength. But I caught you, and no matter which choice you had made I would have caught you and brought you to safety because you are My child!"

There is so much peace in knowing that no matter what is going on around me, He's holding on to me and I am safe. And he offers that assurance to every one of His children. We are never, ever left to face life alone! There have been several very hard situations in my life since then. My mother went to Heaven, adjusting to functioning as a single parent again, moving to a much smaller but more affordable home. But no matter how hard these things have been, I've also been very aware of His hand , holding me and carrying me safely through every circumstance.