"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!Where are we going? Where are you leading me?"
He tells her simply
"Follow along dear one, I've got your hand."
Confused and still wondering about their journey, His daughter holds tighter to His hand. He picks up speed. It is now more difficult for her little feet to jostle alongside Him. She picks up her pace but instead of feeling like she's running with Him, it is as if He is ushering her forward.
"Dad..Daddy.. why, why are going so fast?"
She said still running while trying to catch her breath. She is wearing down, trotting along with her Daddy.
"Here, Sweetheart, come inside with me"
He says as they approach an unfamiliar home. This house is surrounded by fields of grain along the roadside. The bumpy gravel path leads them to the door as he urges his daughter along, walking even faster and faster to go inside.
"Daddy...Dad..we've never been here before, what's going on here??we've never been here before..where are we goi..."
Before she could finish her sentence, He opens the door for them. The house looks dark and empty, but there is a warm ambiance about it despite the unfamiliarity. Maybe it's because Daddy's here that she feels safe anyway. But still confused.
No longer holding hands, no longer keeping pace, they stroll further inside into a grand room;a very open and bare room, but somehow still grand. For a second, the girl loses sight of her dad and begins to panic:
"Where did you go Dad? I can't see you! Why did you leave me in here? I don't even know what's.."
She catches His eye through the crack in the door. He swings the door wide and approaches the long table in the middle of the room. Her Dad, with purple cloth in hand, rubs her back and stoops to tell her
"Sweetheart,you're okay.See, here I am! Hey!watch me closely now, see what I'll do with this room for ya!"
As he gives her a quick smile and rub on the shoulder, He makes His way back to the table and extravagantly tosses the opposite end of the amethyst cloth to cover the table. His daughter watches wide-eyed, as if this is all unfolding in slow motion. He then goes to the cupboard, and pulls out the finest dinnerware she has ever seen. Fine gold china, with gold utensils and gold rimmed wine glasses- how exquisite! She watches intently as her Daddy continues to prepare the table for her with impeccable precision and design.
"Here,My Daughter! Come dine with me! This is for you My Love! I've prepared a place for you!Here we shall stay and remain together always My Darling!"
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23.
