A steady hand

I felt the warmth seep through my body, reaching my very heart. My tired eyes were red with exhaustion and tears that threatened to fall. My dad had pulled me in close and his strong embrace steadied my wobbly self. My dad has always been good at this, at being a calm strength for our family. Whenever I was fraying, tripping over obstacles of life, feeling too much pressure, or struggling to keep it together, he always seemed to know when I most needed that steady hug. I have several memories like this, where I melted into my dad's strength and togetherness. They still comfort me now.

Steadiness. For me, I think of my dad's composure and strength, but hopefully we all have some version of steadiness in our lives. Something quiet that we trust with our whole hearts and that will be there when everything else falls apart. Steadiness comes in all kinds of forms, but I find it so important that we realize the relationship between steadiness and faith, and how we can apply it in our lives.

I think of the devastation of the wildfires in California right now, the chaos that is engulfing so many people. How should we react as children of God? How could we possibly pick up the pieces of someone else's life and help them put it back together? Well, the short answer is that we can't. We can't solve it. And often times, in our own chaos or someone else's, we are not supposed to know how to fix it and can't actually fix it ourselves. Instead, we are called to offer a steady hand, a warm embrace, a gentle smile. What makes these actions so powerful is that they are free from judgement, and full of compassion. Sometimes this matters more than actually knowing how to fix all the problems. It just matters that we care. Philippians 2:4 tells us "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." We are supposed to care about others, designed to feel the humanity in all things, and to view others with brotherly love.

When we show compassion toward others, we demonstrate our faith. We represent the compassion that Jesus shows on us, the love He has for us, the steady, calming heartbeat of the Holy Spirit in step with our own. John 15:12 reminds us "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." This verse explains to us the relationship between steadiness and faith. When we express calming compassion with others, we are examples of the steadiness that Jesus provides for us. We might not know how to fix everyone's problems, but God does. And our love and prayers can bring shaky and tired people to Him for a warm embrace and strong reassurance. We love others because He loves us, we help others because He helps us, and so on. God gives us so much grace and love that we can afford to share it with others, and we are called to do just that.

Steadiness. We have steadiness in our lives because God is that calming hand on our shoulder, the overwhelming peace that swamps our worries and sadness. The more we depend on His steadiness, the more dependable He becomes. Because of our faith in God's dependability, we have the chance to extend His reach through our behavior. We can pray, listen, and embrace the ups and downs of others. We can be the steady hand that someone else may need in order to hear God's calming voice in their storms of life. Matthew 5:16 reads "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven." This verse expresses to us how we can implement our faith by being supportive of others. We can bring people to the Lord's love and peace by extending it toward our peers.

Showing compassion and consideration to others is a lost art these days. We are often absorbed into our own day to day that we struggle to give the benefit of the doubt, to look beyond the surface, to listen rather than to talk. We are called to be different, to share God's love and light with our peers. It might not make a lot of noise in this loud world, but trust me that it makes a difference. People remember how you made them feel, not so much the words you said. We are all seeking that steadiness in our lives.

Jesus steadies our hands so we can reach out and grab someone else's to hold.