Take My Hand and Walk

A few months ago I prepared to share a bit of my story with my colleagues and chose to do it with music. I looked over the decade past and chose a dozen songs that illustrated some highlights along the way.

One of those was a song by The Kry that I heard for the first time during my last year teaching high school in Indianapolis. It was the same year that Mom went into the hospital with congestive heart failure on a Sunday and had a stroke there before the end of the week. The stroke left her paralyzed on the left side of her body. Mom's need for care (full-time from Dad and part-time from me) and my teaching schedule made for a rather exhausting remainder of that year.

I had no idea at the time that I'd be walking away from my teaching job at the end of that year. Despite all the complications of life, I was having my best teaching year ever. When it became clear that God was opening a door of opportunity for me on the staff of my church...when I had to announce my plans of this new thing to faculty and students I loved dearly...when it all looked way too complicated or difficult, this was the song that reminded me of the ONE who was leading me along this unfamiliar and sometimes difficult path.

A guy named Billy Crocket who sang (among other things) the blues declared in one of his songs that when you get to the deepest, lowest, bottom-of-life places, you find Jesus is there. I'm so grateful for that.

Take My Hand and Walk
The Kry

I know there are times
your dreams turn to dust.
You wonder as you cry
why it has to hurt so much.
Give me all your sadness -
Someday you will know the reason why.
With a child-like heart,
simply put your hope in Me.

Take my hand and walk where I lead;
Keep your eyes on Me alone.
Don't you say "Why were the old days better?"
just because you're scared of the unknown.
Take My hand and walk.

Don't live in the past,
cause yesterday's gone.
Wishing memories would last;
you're afraid to carry on.
You don't know what's comin'
but you know the One who holds tomorrow.
I will be your guide,
take you through the night,
if you keep your eyes on Me.

Take my hand and walk where I lead;
Keep your eyes on Me alone.
Don't you say "Why were the old days better?"
just because you're scared of the unknown.
Take My hand and walk where I lead.
You will never be alone.
Faith is to be sure of what you hope for
and the evidence of things unseen,
so take my hand and walk.

Just like a child
holdings daddy's hand,
don't let go of mine.
You know you can't stand
on your own.