Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.
The LORD will fulfil his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures for ever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands. (Psalm 138:7–8 NRSVA)
I grew up in an original homestead farmhouse in the farmlands of North Dakota. Needless to say, it had weathered a lot of storms and had become a home to many creepy crawlers over the years. When I was seven years old, my parents made the decision to build a new house (praise the LORD) on our farmstead approximately five feet away from the roofline of the old house. One evening, I was looking for my mom to ask her a question. Construction was nearly completed, except for the garage floor needing to be dug out and redone for some construction concerns. I figured my mom had gone over to the new house, so I made my way to the new garage door, forgetting completely that the whole ground had been torn out on the other side of the threshold.
The door was supposed to be locked, but it wasn’t. I opened the door, and just as I’m about to take a step into the garage, my mom cried out, “NO, Danelle!” But it was too late. I fell about eight feet down into the now dug out garage floor. No big deal, right? It’s just dirt. However, as I looked to my right, I saw approximately ten to twelve inches of rebar protruding vertically out of the ground. It dawned on me that I had narrowly missed that extended rebar going through my leg. Needless to say, God kept me safe that night.
I’ve recently looked back on that incident and recognized how much God protected me. I grew up to be a basketball player, a hiker, an adventurer who LOVES to explore, someone who walks alongside moms growing in their faith and ministers to children and families, constantly being on my feet as I share the Gospel. God’s right hand was upon me, for he knew his good purpose for me. He knew where I would walk, run, and jump into his Kingdom, and he equipped me to do so.
I’ve continued to face hard days, scary trials, and dangerous falls in my faith journey, but he has never left me. He has not abandoned the work of his hands. He continues to reveal the purpose and plan he has for me. While I will admit it’s not always as clear and pronounced as I would like (can I have a giant flashing arrow, please?) he does lead me. And he’s leading you. He leads us to him, to the cross, to redemption and restoration. Our ultimate goal is to be with him, Creator and creation united again.
Through the obedience of Jesus and the mercy of God, we have unity with God as a daily option on the table. The choice is whether or not we will choose it. Will you wake up this morning and choose to be united with God? Will you choose to embrace what he’s calling you to do? Will you entrust him to carry you, to uphold you in his safe hands? It is available, and it is a gift for you today. No strings attached. Will you take a step of faith this season and trust God to catch you if you fall? The love of the LORD endures forever – jump into his arms today.
Danelle Schlichenmayer serves as the director of Elementary Ministry at Century Baptist Church in Bismarck, North Dakota. She and her family love to be in the great outdoors.