Every month, a child’s parents would take him to visit his grandmother, and the family of three would take the same trains there and back. One day, the child told his parents, “I’ve grown up now; I want to go to Grandma's house by myself!" After some discussion, his parents agreed. At the train station, they said goodbye and gave him a few last-minute reminders through the window. The child said, “Mom and Dad, I know; you’ve told me a thousand times already!” Just as the train was about to depart, his father whispered, "Son, if you feel scared or insecure, open this." The boy put the item into his pocket, and the train took off.

Alone, just as he had wanted, the child sat happily on the train without his parents' company. He enjoyed the scenery outside the window. But soon, more people began to crowd in, making noise and moving in and out of the car, and even the ticket inspector was unfriendly to him. Some people looked at him with odd expressions. Time passed, and gradually, the child started to feel uneasy. Scared and feeling cornered, he lowered his head with tears in his eyes. He suddenly remembered the item his father had given him, so he reached into his pocket with trembling hands. It was a note, which read: "Son, I’m in the last car of the train."

Isn't life just like this in a way? We’re like that child sitting alone on the train, always carrying this note in our pocket. But often, we forget to open it. In fact, the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, is always with us on this journey of life, dwelling within us. The same goes for the ministry of the church. When we encounter needs, we instinctively try to solve them by human means. In other words, we go ahead of God instead of letting God lead us. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, Joshua instructed them, "As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before." (Joshua 3:3-4) We see that the Israelites safely crossed the Jordan and reached the promised land of Canaan.

There are paths in life we have yet to walk, challenges we have yet to encounter, and grace we have yet to experience. If we rely on the Holy Spirit, facing life's peaks and valleys, we won’t fear loneliness but can face everything bravely and experience His grace.

May we always come to God, because this is exactly what pleases Him.
(Translated by Translation Team)