I Am Not Alone!ಮಾದರಿ

Day 2: You Are Not Alone. The Lord Your God Is with You Wherever You Go.

One of my favorite keepsakes is an old, fuzzy blanket I have from my childhood. I think it’s the same blanket my grandmother wrapped my mother in as a child. Aside from the family Bible, the blanket is the only object that connects me with my maternal ancestors. To me, the blanket and family Bible are priceless.

In fact, when I read the family Bible and see my mother’s comments in beautiful flowing script, I am transported to my last deep conversation with her. She called me Joshua. I didn’t understand her words until months after my parents’ deaths. Her words mirrored God’s instructions to Joshua and gave me desperately needed courage and insight:

“Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.…I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.…This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:2, 5, 9, NLT).

Though I hadn’t asked for this leadership mission, my parents had groomed me for it. This awareness of my parents’ expectations carried me through the emotionally charged journey of leading myself and siblings to a place of recovery. Despite trying times, God’s love empowered us to deny victory to sorrow and estrangement. Though missing our parents beyond explanation, God’s mercy let us know we weren’t alone. To this day, I still marvel at the people God gathered to encircle us and be His hands, voice, and feet in helping us stand as a family. The same God Who had led generations of my family through perilous times was with us and would bring us through whatever we faced.

Encouragement: Child of God, just as God was with Moses and Joshua, God is with you.