Life is stressful. It seems that at every turn we are bombarded with something else to deal with. It could be a project we are working on, a health issue, or maybe the economy is hurting our job prospects and finances. There always seems to be something to worry about. The one thing we shouldn’t have to worry about is the fate of our eternal soul, as long as we follow Jesus. This is easier said than done.
Jesus says that His Father has all of His followers in His hands and that no one can take them away. Jesus also often refers to His followers as sheep and that He knows them and they follow Him. He even told the story before of the shepherd who goes in search of a lost sheep. The only way to leave God’s protection is by leaving of our own free will. Even when we do stray from Him, He continues to search for us.
In the story of Adam and Eve, what do Adam and Eve do after eating the forbidden fruit? They hide from God. Now someone might read the story and say to themselves, “Do they think that they can hide from God?” Well, people hide from Him all the time. God could say, “Oh well, they didn’t listen to me. They brought it upon themselves”. However, He goes out and actively pursues them. Now, no sin is without consequence and the consequence for the first sin was banishment from the garden and Heaven. However, Jesus shows us the way back to the garden if we just follow Him and His directions. If we stick with Him, we can’t get lost, but if we stray, we will lose our way.
Sometimes, we get so lost that Jesus isn’t anywhere in sight. Other people can help us to find Him in that situation. Picture the lost kid in the store. He can’t see his father anywhere, but if he knows to go to someone in charge, they can help the child reconnect with his father. The Church and the clergy are like the workers in charge that can help bring us back to our Father. We may even find an ordinary person willing to help us find our way. We do have to be careful who we trust, because if we follow the wrong person or group, they could lead us even further away from our Father.
When I get in a crowded or potentially dangerous place, I ask my sons to hold my hand, because I can better lead and protect them when I am holding onto them. If they let go of my hand, they may run ahead and get lost or hurt. We too should hold onto our Father’s hand during tough and stressful times and He will lead us to eternal life and eternal joy.
