Grandad’s Walking Stick
Author: Debra Pierce (Massachusetts, US)
In my bedroom wardrobe is a metal walking stick. It belonged to my grandad and then to my father. During my father’s battle with cancer, he walked with slow measured steps while gripping grandad’s walking stick. As the years pass, the day may come when it will help me to walk too.
The walking stick reminds me of scripture, the staff I lean on in my spiritual walk and especially during difficult times. When my father died, a staff of comfort to me was Psalm 68:5: ‘A father to the fatherless… is God.’ When I was emotionally and physically exhausted from dealing with my father’s estate, ‘I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint’ (Jeremiah 31:25) promised rest and renewal. And when a lump in my breast filled me with fear, I leaned on Matthew 9:22, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well’ (NRSV), for hope and healing.
As we traverse our valleys of grief, doubt, fear and depression, we have a staff that reassures us that we are not walking alone: ‘Surely I am with you always’ (Matthew 28:20). Psalm 23 is a staff I lean on for comfort. It promises that whatever we are coping with, the Good Shepherd is with us for emotional and spiritual support.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your staff that provides emotional comfort and spiritual support. Amen
