Faithful God

We are sailing!  And while I can't quite describe to you the pure joy involved in that statement, I want you to know that it's amazing!  As always :D
In the midst of the joy though, I'm realizing just how short my time here has become, and I am occasionally remembering to be intentional in relationships, in spending time around those with whom I've become close.  I've started a mental countdown to departure, if only to prepare myself and actually get my packing etc done.
This afternoon, after heeding the overhead page mentioning whales spotted on the starboard side, I spent a little extra time outside with a good friend and her baby.  Her little one is about 10 months old and literally on the brink of walking.  The new game has become to see if we can get her to take her first steps on the sail.  We get her balanced, which she actually does quite well, and then let her go, holding out our hands/toys/badges etc, trying to entice her to move forward.  But she's not ready.  She will smile and get excited, but refuses to put that foot forward unless someone is holding her hand.  And so as I walked her along the deck, each of her hands firmly grasping one of my fingers, a song came to me.
It's a song that a few of my other friends have declared to be our theme song from the Guinea outreach. "Never Once" by Matt Redman features a chorus that proclaims: "Never once did we ever walk alone, never once did you leave us on our own, You are faithful, God, You are faithful."  Something about those lines hit me in a new way today.  Like a parent (aunt/friend etc) that holds an infant's hands until they are ready, God doesn't just set us up until we have our balance and tell us to go for it.  He knows exactly how long to hold on.  And He's there with us every step of the way.  He saw our first steps and He will see our last.  Faithful God.  And He's walking home with me this month too.