Please Don’t Leave Me
Ever since my husband and I went on a mission trip to Guatemala for a week, my daughter has been saying, “mommy, daddy, please don’t leave me.” It breaks my heart everytime she says this because although we are back, she still thinks we are going to leave her. Although she had a blast with her aunt and uncle, she of course still missed us.
The day after we came back was Resurrection Sunday (Easter) and it had me thinking about Jesus and his disciples. I can only imagine how they felt. Jesus promised He wasn’t going to leave them alone, just like we had promised my daughter. He says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). Then goes onto say in verses 25 & 26, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Yet I can only imagine they felt a lot like my daughter did when I left. Even though we promised she wouldn’t be alone and someone would take care of her, she still didn’t want us to leave.
I remember when my daughter was first born, I was so afraid to leave the hospital. I remember jokingly begging the nurses to come home with us. Although I said it as a joke, I was actually pretty anxious about it. The nurses knew what to do when she cried. They could tell me if something was wrong. I kept thinking, “how am I supposed to do this without them?” “How can I take care of this little human?” I imagine the disciples felt similarly when Jesus died and later resurrected. Thinking things like, “how am I supposed to do this without Him? “How am I supposed to take care and lead these people?”
Maybe you have been feeling the same way lately. Maybe you feel really alone or like you are inadequate to do your role. Your role as a mom, a wife, a friend, a coworker, a leader, whatever that title may look like. If God put you there, if God gave you that responsibility, He won’t leave you to do it alone! We weren’t meant to. We were meant to rely on Him in everything we do. So the next time you feel afraid, afraid that God might leave you to deal with things alone, I challenge you to call out His name. Say, “Jesus, I need you today, I can’t do this by myself. I know you are with me, so please show me what to do.” Isaiah 41:10 says, So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” What a beautiful promise! And if you’re still feeling lonely, afraid or just anxious, feel free to reach out. Reach out to a friend, a church member, someone who you trust and will point to back to Jesus.