One thing I’ve begun to realize more and more lately is how short I really am. I understand that it’s probably different for tall people. You are likely constantly—and painfully—aware of your height as your head bumps into ceiling fans and doorways. But for us vertically challenged folks, we aren’t typically reminded of our shortcomings on a daily basis.
Truth be told, I am of average height because God made me extraordinary in other ways. But all of these kids, including my own, keep catching up to me and making me feel short. It feels like one day you are looking down to talk to them, and the next, you are speaking eye-to-eye. They keep getting older, and unfortunately, so do we.
I think it is human nature to mourn the passage of what once was because we are both prideful and sentimental. It is hard to acknowledge that we can no longer do the things we used to do, and we hate the thought of moving on to a new reality. So, we resist looking ahead or truly believing that the coming days will be better than the ones that have passed.
As I reflect on the impermanence of everything in my life, I am drawn to the unchanging faithfulness of God. Isaiah 46:4 says: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
What a wonderful promise to carry with us as our world changes in big and small ways! The same God who sustained us in our youth will surely sustain us to the very end. He made us, He saved us, and He will keep us until He calls us home.
My hope is not in a strong, healthy body, just as it is not in the contentment of having my family gathered together and well under my roof. Instead, my hope is in the Lord. He will not give me everything I want, but everything I need to live life to the fullest for His glory in every stage of life. Rest assured, He will hold me, and you, fast.