Walk Me Through

“Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because you are with me.  Your rod and your walking stick comfort me.”    Psalm 23:4

My frustration level has been high over the past weeks because of paperwork.  I despise the mound of forms that are required for transactions.  It seems easier if the requirement was a pint of blood instead of a stack of forms.  I have been completing them step by step, but this week all three of the areas I am working on seemed insurmountable.  My head was swimming in information and my shoulders seemed heavy from the burden.  Whatever happened to the simple handshake and a letter of closure.  Not in our world anymore.

We have all felt the weight of the requirements to function in daily life and to obtain the necessities and luxuries of life.  Sometimes it feels impossible and not worth the effort even though we know it is what we want and desire.  We look at what needs to be completed and feel that we do not have the ability, the energy, nor the desire.  We may even want the end result, but where do we begin?  I have accepted that I cannot do this alone.  I need help.  I have reached out to those I trust to walk me through the mound of forms.

In these weeks and through my grief and chapters of life, I realize I cannot do everything by myself.  I want to be independent and plow through the tough parts of life, but God created us to be dependent on Him and one another.  It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, but a sign of acceptance.  We accept who we are and our abilities.  We see the strengths of others and bring them into our lives to enhance us.

The Perrys have written a song that has helped me through these days.  The song is entitled, “Walk Me Through.”  Here is the chorus –

“Walk me through, walk me through.

Give me grace to keep my eyes on you.

Be my comfort, be my guide

Shelter me from rising tides.

I’m depending, Lord, on you to walk me through.”

These words are in my heart, and I sing them throughout the day – “God, walk me through.  I am depending on you to walk me through.”  What is before me seems impossible, but I change my focus to God, who is beside me.  God is walking me through the problems, the changes, the pain, the storm, or whatever life brings to me.  God is walking you through, too.  It is keeping our eyes on Jesus, not on the hurt or problem or obstacle.  Life does not always take us on the path we had planned, but God still walks with us.

I spoke recently at a grief support group. One of the widows shared with me after the meeting that she was sorry I had gone through loss, but she was thankful I was now willing to share about the journey and help others navigate their grief. I believe God has walked me through to guide others on the path. My current frustration and changes are happening so that I can walk others through them later. It is also apparent to me that we do not walk alone. We need to reach out to others who have the knowledge and expertise we need to figure out our current situation. Allow others to walk you through.

In each moment of life, I will continue to pray, “Lord, walk me through.”  I am depending on God.  When the moments are frustrating and overwhelming, I am reaching out to Jesus and asking him to hold my hand and walk me through.  When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God is still with us to walk us through.  The key word is “through.”  We do not stay in the valley, but we go through it.  God does not always take us out of the pain and hurt, but God promises to always be with us through the storm.  “Lord, walk me through.”