I Held His Hand

Isaiah 41:13 I am the Lord your God, who grasps your strong hand, who says to you, Don’t fear; I will help you.

I’ve struggled to put down onto paper (well paper of sorts) how deeply I was touched by a very special woman in my life who recently passed away. I only met her a little over 4 years ago in 2010 – joining her family when I married her granddaughter that same year.

She accepted me right into the family as her grandson, and we had some wonderful conversations about her work for a local landmark company and how she met her husband. We’d talk about her brothers and her mom. At times the stories would lag – seems like those memories were filed deep in her mind and accessing them took a little effort.

We’d also get onto the subject of what I was doing for a living and where I was. I didn’t share with her that sales were difficult, or that as I collected money in the rougher parts of the city, I (and my wife) had some concerns about my safety. She’d never really say much about it, but I could tell she was a bit concerned – not just about my ability to take care of her granddaughter, but also about me.

At some point during these conversations, she’d reach out her hand and I’d take it.  I’d comment about how cold it was, and she’d laugh and then hold tight as we continued our conversation. Reassurance would fill my heart, and by the end of the conversation, I knew all would be fine at some point.

As we prepared to celebrate her life, I had an opportunity to look back on how she impacted my life, and realized that I was holding His hand as I held hers. I am so very thankful for our conversations and the wisdom and love shared – even in silence.   “Father God, thank you for the time I had with Grandmom and the love she shared from her heart and from You. Amen”