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How Does God Lead You?

Know the song He Leadeth Me?
It’s a wonderful picture of how God leads us. Read the words.

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
words with heav'nly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where'er I be
Still 'tis God's hand that 
leadeth me.
Refrain

He 
leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He 
leadeth me
His 
faithful foll'wer I would be,
For by His hand He 
leadeth me.

Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes 
where Eden's bowers bloom,
By 
waters still, o'er troubled sea,
Still 'tis His hand that 
leadeth me.
Refrain

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy 
grace the vict'ry's won,
E'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
Since God 
through Jordan leadeth me.
Refrain

By His own Hand He leadeth me.
What a picture of peace and bliss!
We know whatever “place” we are in, God is there right beside us.
He hasn’t forgotten us. He’s leading us.

I remember that first time my child reached out his tiny hand and grabbed my finger. 
He was mine. His hand was reaching out to mine in trust for protection, security, and need.
I felt the weight of such responsibility—that he would trust me for everything.
So like what God wants us to do with Him.

But our babies grew and that simple trust had to be cultivated.
Not only must I fulfill his many needs, but he must allow me to, without seeking his own.

Ever try to lead a wiggly, active toddler who does not want to follow?
He has his own agenda.
He wants to go where he wants to go.
There were times and certain children, that when I held their hand it was to grab them before they could dart in the street or while we walked in a parking lot. 
With one particular child, he would weasel out of my grip if I tried to nicely hold his hand. I had to clutch his wrist so he wouldn’t run away.
Even as I clutched his hand, he would twist his arm and wiggle his body in all kinds of contortions in order to make me let go. 
I would not until we were safely in the store and he was in the shopping cart.
I clung to his hand so he wouldn’t hurt himself.
He could do nothing but stay by my side.
He was going to go with me whether he wanted to or not.
For me, it was a matter of life or death—his. And I was not going to let go.
Ever feel like that with God? Twisting every which way, except the way He wants you to do?
You know He wants to walk this way, but that's not where you want to walk. 
You fight, kick, scream and do anything but follow Him.
In order for God to lead, you must follow.

As my own child grew out of his toddler years, his look of disdain when I reached for his arm told me all too well what he thought of my presence beside him.
But I ignored the look and held his arm.
With that child, I never got passed “the holding on for dear life.”
There was no happy bliss, and peaceful hold.

This clutching is not the picture that comes to mind when I sing this song.
Instead, it’s that gentle, soft touch when I slip my hand into my husband's.
Not because I had to but because I wanted to.
When we walk a steep incline, he helped pull me up.
When I slipped, his hand would tighten reflexively and catch me before I’d fall.
His hand became that added reassurance that he had me.
I still had to walk. But my steps would be sure and firm.
I had to allow him to direct our steps. It was in submission where I find protection.

As I sang that song in church this week, I wondered which kind of follower was I?
Do I go where God wants, but only because He clutches my arm and I must?
Or do I walk in His way, allowing Him to pick the path, trusting Him for the destination?
For God to lead, I must follow.
It is not really how rough the road, but it's more how do I trust, whether the walk is blessed and peaceful.
There can be no bliss when each step is a fight.
But when I rest in Him, though the path is hard, His presence brings peace.
God wants to lead, but I what kind of a follower am I?


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I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
               Sonya Contreras

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Or here:
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Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.

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