The Finger of God

by Joey Davis

The excitement was over. Or maybe it was just beginning. Either way, we had just gone through the overwhelming experience of bringing our first child into the world.

We had been saved the usual excitement due to the fact that Melissa's doctor had scheduled her labor to be induced. Yet, though we knew what day the birth would be, none of the newness and excitement had worn off.

But on this day, the grandparents had left, the visitors had stopped coming, and the doctors had okayed us to take Olivia home. I was a nervous wreck. Where is the instruction manual for parenting? So I played it by ear and showed up with our new carseat, all ready to give Olivia her first tour of her new hometown.

She was dressed in a white gown and had lots of dark hair. An absolute picture of beauty! That is except for one thing. . . she wouldn't stop crying. Never had I seen a child cry like this!

When we got her into the car, her seat in the normal infant's reversed position, she still screamed to the top of her lungs.

Then I had an idea. As the car went into motion, I reached over into her car carrier and put my pinky finger into her hand. She grabbed that finger with as crushing a grip as a newborn can have and help on tightly. Her crying had stopped.

From that point on, anywhere we went, she had to hold our fingers. She would have it no other way, it was either let her have your finger or listen to twenty miles of grief.

She still likes to hold my hand. I realize that someday she won't. Her maturity will take over and she'll think it juvenile to hold daddy's hand and I dread this day coming.

I feel that all father's dread this day. Even our Heavenly Father. Seems that we hold His hand in our infant days of Christianity. Yet, most folks experience a time when we begin to feel so "mature" that we cam handle life on our own. It would do us all good to go back to the days of total dependence on the Father and "hold His finger" once again.

We should hold on to the finger of God. The same finger that caused the powerful plagues of the Exodus ( Exodus 8:16-20) can aid our departure from the slavery of sin. The same finger that inscribed the commandments on stone ( Exodus 31:18) can guide our life into all righteousness. The same finger that cast out demons as a sign of the coming of the kingdom ( Luke 11:20) can declare us citizens of a city not made with hands.

May we find peace in holding on to the finger of God.