Shadows of Childhood.

May these always be the shadows of your childhood.

Happy evenings playing baseball in the back yard.

Cheering each other on.

Wanting nothing less than the best for each other.

Fists clenched in excitement yelping, “you can do it!”

Sitting on the edge of the fence in anticipation of your next turn.

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The shadows of my childhood were scarier than anyone should have ever seen.

No one told me not to be afraid while they smoothed my sweaty hair…no they said run and keep running you will never be safe.

The shadows still hop out of the closet and remind me they are watching…lurking…creepier than ever.

No one protected us from what would step out of the shadows… we just ran and ran…And I hate running.

So now with this entrusted brood  when the shadows come to steal our peace… to take what  they feel is their share of who I have become… I will not run… I will turn and face them.  I am no coward…and I hate running.  So there will be rules… and dogs and alarm systems in place.  But most of all I am …. and always have been, walking in an authority…

He goes before me … and when I think back He always had… it was just we kept running so I never noticed.  But I always knew even as a small child if I walked in, it would stop… and when I was reminded of that the other day I heard Him whisper, “because you have always walked with that authority… no harm will come when you are there because I have always gone before you.  I have always walked with you.  You were created to walk with Me.”  But somewhere along the line I lost track of who I was… of Who I take my orders from.  Maybe it was lost in all that running.  I believed the fear filled voice of run.

Not anymore.

He goes before me and I walk in that authority.

I will not run anymore, till my lungs burn asthmatically.

If you need to find me I will be walking…slow and very steady.

But I will tell you right now… I am not alone,

and that is why I walk.

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