I recently had the pleasure of watching two little girls - identical twins - learn to walk. Though they were born only moments apart, Maggie was decidedly braver at trying out her little feet than her sister Amara. With wobbly legs, Maggie would stubbornly put one tiny foot in front of the other, progressively running one, two, three... steps together while her mom and I cheered her on. Though there were many, many falls it was exciting to see her progress!
Amara, on the other hand, was timid. Each time we would set her upon her feet and encourage her to try, she would eventually opt for sitting on the floor and crawling to her destination. After all, crawling was what she was used to and it was safe. It was obvious to me that both girls had the balance but only one had the courage to step out in faith. At one point, I saw Amara, out of the corner of my eye, sitting on the very edge of the bottom step clearly trying to muster the nerve to get up and walk. I called her. I coaxed her. I offered my arms wide open for her to step into and once - just once - she took two steps before returning to crawling.
By the time I left for home, Maggie was running short series of steps together and Amara was playing with me on the floor. I had the BEST time! It was so much fun! Who knew that I could have so much delight just watching both precious girls mature - one baby step at a time!
Those were God-ordained moments. In His Sovereignty, He knew exactly what would resonate with me. The very next morning in my quiet time, I was studying Psalm 119:1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. My way didn't seem very undefiled. In fact, there seemed to be nothing in between. I was convinced my options were either defiled or perfect. I don't need to tell you which I categorized myself under. I immediately compared myself to many people that could walk this life out better than I was. Then the Lord spoke. "Do you love Maggie more than Amara?" No. Why? "Because Maggie can walk better?" No. I had enjoyed every moment with both of the girls and I knew that Amara could do it. She just didn't believe it yet. That's how it is with our Lord. He knows what we are capable of and He keeps encouraging us and spurring us on through the next step. Not because He's going to love us more as we accomplish it but because that's what babies are supposed to do. Grow. Mature. Walk. That shows health and it gives the child a whole new world to explore. And doesn't our Father's world offer so much to explore?
So, I sit on the edge, look to my Father for strength and courage and then, in faith, put one foot ahead of the other while His arms open wide! Walking is a process. I'm becoming more and more proficient at it each day and my Father is the best. He cheers me on and catches me when I fall.
Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude 24-25
By the way, you should see Amara go now!
