My dad was the foreman for a lumber company that had a camp about twenty-five miles in the North Maine woods. As far as I can remember, I would torment him to take me along when he went to work. Around twelve-years- of-age, I had a particular plan. I would go in the woods with him on Thursday, bring my bike, spend the night, and after a hardy breakfast in the cook room, peddle back home on Friday. For some strange reason, he agreed.
I was alone, but this was going to be an adventure. There would be some tough climbs because my bike had only one gear. Downhills could be taken at breakneck speeds and turns taken on the edge. Narrow bridges over brooks had to be traversed carefully because of the way planking was placed. There was also a section where a forest fire had happened some years before, which I considered to be quite creepy.
Years later, I asked myself, why would anyone let his kid do that? Did he just think it would be a day during which I wouldn’t be in his hair? No, I think he believed the time had come when this young boy had to do some flying on his own. There were many truckers going back and forth whom, I believe, he asked to keep a watchful eye for the kid.
The Father has many tools to keep an eye on us that are mentioned in Scripture. My personal passage that reveals the Father’s care is as follows:
Genesis 28:15
Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Life is a journey, but our Father never takes His eyes off of us as we travel down that road.
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths.
Give it some thought.
Gary