I feel safe now…

Last tuesday, a week ago today, we went on an adventure.

My son Maximus is toilet training and one of his rewards is a train ride, when he wins in the toilet department.

Often he will run in and out of his room and tell us confidently ‘Next station stop…Canning bridge, next station stop…Kwinnnnaaannna’.

A regular tuesday, a typical day in the life of a toddler, a mumma, a body builder and a newborn.

A new playground, a much needed coffee, I wasn’t expecting a very simple story to enter my normal.

As we got off the train at Leederville station, I noticed a young woman standing tentatively at the bottom of the ramp.

I stood behind her waiting for her to start her journey upwards.

She looked at me and simply said ‘I am afraid of heights.’

I said to her, ‘That’s okay, do you want to hold my hand and we can walk the bridge together?’

You see this particular ramp off the train station at Leederville, connects to a bridge that takes you across a four lane highway.

My truck, train, bus, ambulance, helicopter, plane, car, anything that moves toddler thinks this bridge is absolutely brilliant, but for the fearful of heights I can see this would be a Mount Everest of trekking proportion.

So there I was, midday walking across a bridge holding hands with a stranger.

As we got closer to the end of the short journey, she turned to me and said simply ‘I feel safe now.’

I let go of her hand and she walked off to find her friends.

This young woman had downs syndrome and her tenacity at facing her fears and acknowledging her needs to a stranger was a profound lesson in trust to this novice mum.

I was thinking about this simple story a few days later and I likened it to my relationship with God and how much easier it could be if I just trusted him.

Stating what my fear was, walking across the distance holding his hand and then walking away knowing that I felt safe again.

This week I have been thinking about Psalm 136 and how His love endures forever. Across the chasms and the fears that engulf our days.

Psalm 136: 10-13

‘He rescued Israel from their oppressors = his love never quits.

Took Israel in hand with his powerful hand = his love never quits.

Split the red sea right in half = his love never quits.

Led Israel right down the middle = his love never quits.’

No matter what we are going through, no matter the fears we face, no matter the largeness of the journey we must endure, His love will never fail us.

He delights in us,

He fights for us,

He remembers us,

He cares for us.

His love never quits.