You Shoulda Catched Me!

A Sabbath afternoon hike. 

I stand upon a granite slab taking in the barrenly beautiful terrain waiting for the rest of the company to make their way back up the trail. 

My little five-year old friend tests his balancing skills walking on the uneven rock. His father offers his hand, but like most five-year olds (I'm sure I did this when I was five), he doesn't take it. 

"I can do it by myself" 

You know how that goes, right?

It's not more than a few steps before…down he goes. The fall isn't terribly hard, but he sure isn't standing on two feet anymore. 

There is that pause that frequently occurs in moments like this when a youngster is debating whether or not his predicament is worth making a fuss over. 

Apparently, it is. 

But his response surprises me. 

"Daddy! You shoulda catched me!" he wails. 

Wait? What? Is he really saying that? 

As I watch this whole scenario taking place, the words ring in my ears. Why do they sound so familiar? Ridiculous, but familiar. 

"Daddy! You shoulda catched me!" 

How many times have I said something similar to my heavenly Father? 

I'm sure His response parallels this response I witness.

"Reuben, I couldn't catch you. You were walking in front of me…but if you hold my hand, it won't happen." 

Aubrey, I couldn't catch you. You were walking ahead of Me…but if you hold My hand…

Again a typical reaction. 

Reuben isn't happy with his daddy and doesn't want to hold his hand. 

"No! You shoulda catched me."

Now, I can't trust you anymore 

Ouch

And so Daddy complies. 

After all, forcing a child to hold your hand never works very well. 

But it's not too long before the youngster realizes that holding Daddy's hand is a much better option. Within minutes all distrust has vanished. I look behind me to see Reuben happily bouncing along hand-in-hand with his daddy. 

As we reach a more treacherous part of the trail, he even submits to being picked up and carried over. 

It strikes me…

"Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

Hmm….something to think about, eh?