Hand of the Man

Hand of the Man
by Brodie Swisher

On a recent afternoon, my son, Aidan, and I made our way through the woods as we headed to a ground blind for an evening of hushed excitement in deer country. I figured it would be the perfect spot for us to share a little man-time together and hopefully punch a deer tag. Despite not really knowing where we were going, Aidan did his best to lead the way on the hike in to our spot. Bold and confident, he walked ahead of me in an effort to be the first to find the ground blind.

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It was good to be back in the woods with my son. It was his first hunt of the year and while the encounters with deer were slim, we enjoyed cuttin’ up, eating snacks, and making memories. At one point, as the sun began to sink toward the mountaintop, we heard the sound of crashing and thrashing in the brush behind us. The sounds of a rutting bull moose brought a smile to my face…and panic, fear, and dread to Aidan’s. He covered his ears doing his best to drown out the scary sounds of “something big in the bushes.”
Later that evening as we stumbled our way back to the truck, following the glow of a headlamp, I found Aidan right at my side, holding tightly to my hand. With darkness settling in and big critters making noises in the thicket around us, my bold and confident boy had suddenly realized his need to hang on to his daddy’s hand. He had come to the realization that there was something out there bigger than he was and he wanted to hold on to the hand of the man that would protect him and keep him safe. It was a simple reminder to me of the many times that I’ve been a part of a similar scene as I’ve trudged through life. Countless are the times that I’ve boldly and confidently run into situations in life, without a care or concern of where my life was in relation to Christ. I’ve often run ahead of God’s plan…or parked it on the side of the road when I couldn’t understand what He was up to, or felt defeat in the midst of tough circumstances.
Regardless of the day and no matter the situation, I am reminded that I need to hold on to the hand of the one that will lead me, protect me, and hold me up.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

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