the slide | post 13

by Hope Smith

A friend of mine once told me the story of his most memorable trip to the playground. Excited about playing at the park with his parents, Jonathan flew to the slide and climbed straight to the top. It was one of those spiral ones with bends and twist, making it impossible to see the ground from the top. Having reached the top, Jonathan fearlessly pushed off and began his descent. But the thrill of speeding down the biggest slide on the playground was forgotten as my friend felt himself being pelted with tiny foreign objects. His skin stung as he landed in a heap at the bottom and met the stares of the group of bullies that had crowded around, gathering to torment any child who dared brave their slide. Young Jonathan noticed it looked like they had straws in their hands. These must be the weapons they had used to shoot rocks at his innocent journey down the twisty slide. My friend was mortified and afraid. So he ran to his father. As the story of his persecution tumbled out of him, he noticed his father slowly stand up.

“Let’s go.”
“Wait, dad. Where are we going?”
“We are going to go down the slide again. And this time, I’m going down with you.”
“No! No, Dad! I can’t go back!”

My friend pleaded with his father to change his mind. But he would not be moved.

Walking together, they climbed the ladder to the top. Jonathan’s heart pounded as he settled into his father’s lap, putting his arms tight around his dad’s neck. Then Jon watched his father do the most amazing thing he had ever seen.
Arms outstretched, his father pushed off and sent them flying down the spiral slide, scattering the bullies as each one collided with his strong arm and fell off the side of the slide. Reaching the bottom, my friend couldn’t contain his elation over the power and protection of his father.

“Dad! You’re AWESOME!”

All he had to do was held on for dear life and trust his dad to take care of the rest.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
And show him my salvation.”
Psalm 91:14-16

For all my sisters in Christ, replace “he” with “she.”
Read it again.
Now read what it doesn’t say.
Does it say God Almighty protects his daughters and sons because they work for him? Because they haven’t done certain things? Because they try really hard to be right and good every day?

“Because they hold fast to me in love.”

“Because they know my name.”

Because they cling to me out of desperate need.
Because they know my name and listen to my voice.
That is where our protection lies. That is where we find our hope and honour and satisfaction.
In knowing and loving our Father.
In trusting Him with the journey.
Arms wrapped tight around His neck. Holding on for dear life.
Ready for anything.