From the day I was born, I have been in your care, and from the time of my birth, you have been my God. Psalms 22:10
We invite God into our lives and sometimes our allowance of how much we give Him varies from week to week, situation to situation. It takes discipline and faith to wake up each day and fully hand over that day to Him to do whatever He likes. There were times in the early days of our little family that I fully handed over each day. They were the days when I knew I just couldn’t cope in my own strength. But if I’m honest on the days when I felt stronger, it would slip my mind to fully hand over each day.
I have always loved camping. As a child we used to camp and then as a teenager I joined the Air Training Corps and camping and the outdoor life was very much part of my life. I loved it. I was determined that my children would experience the very best of life, even though I was a single parent, which made things like camping super hard.
When the children were 5, 4 and 2 I decided that this was the year that we were going to experience the outdoors and try camping. We bought a little tent and practised putting it up in our garden. My eldest was my right hand guy helping to put the poles in, whilst my middle son would run around pegging it out for us. It took forever and absolutely exhausted me, but we did it. It was achievable. I decided we needed a big adventure. So rather than book a little campsite down the road I booked a beautiful campsite at the foot of the Cullen Hills on the Isle of Skye. A mear 500+mile journey from where we lived.
Now I know what you are thinking, because many friends said it to me at the time. You are crazy!!!! Maybe I was. But I was so determined to let the children experience camping in such a beautiful place and not let the label of ‘single parent’ define me. I was completely scared about everything that could go wrong but so excited but what could go right. The adventurous side of me won. I got down on my knees and handed the whole crazy adventure over to God. I asked Him to use this holiday as His holiday…crazy right. I just knew that God had me and my little family.
So I loaded the car with the tent, camping equipment and the children and we headed off for our first camping adventure 500 miles away. I wish I had time to tell you all that happened during that trip. The way the God’s hand was all over the adventure. The people we met, the conversations we had, the things we saw that just took our breath away, the people who helped. God planned it all. When we look back we still all say it was our favourite holiday ever.
From that adventure I learned to wholly hand over each day to God. He has the best adventures and will always guide me through each moment. His voice is sometimes loud asking me to trust in Him and some days it’s quiet and almost missable, but part of growing in my walk with God is learning to hear His voice even when my mind seems far from His very presence.
Psalms 23:3 He renews my strength. He guides me along righteous paths.
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