Baby Steps

Has anyone ever told you to be happy with the “baby steps” when you’re working on or toward something? Maybe it’s something that you have told someone else or have had to remind yourself of from time to time. I never really thought about why that phrase was so common until I had a front row seat to actually watching my baby learn to walk. Have you ever watched a baby learn how to walk? It is one of the most fascinating, exciting things I’ve ever witnessed and as I’m watching it happen for the second time I’m learning more than I did the first time. I’m realizing just how important baby steps really are and how if I get excited over my little ones baby steps, then God must get excited over His children’s baby steps too.

My oldest son took his time learning to walk. He was completely satisfied to crawl anywhere he wanted and didn’t care much for walking until he was 14 months old. He finally decided that it was time and within a matter of weeks he was walking on his own. Many people told me that my second son would walk sooner than 14 months because he had an older brother to watch and learn from. Well, my second son is currently 12 months old — almost 13 months — and he is trying SO hard to walk independently which has been a highlight for all of us each day. My oldest son encourages him to walk and we all cheer when he takes even a couple steps — as wobbly as they may be. In fact, he claps for himself and smiles SO big each time — I think he gets SO excited that he makes himself lose his balance sometimes. Anyway, watching him with his baby steps has reminded me of my own.

I’m so grateful that God uses things like watching my baby learn to walk to teach me about my relationship with Him. I tend to be the type of person that wants to do well at something the first time I try it. I don’t often view failure as an opportunity to learn, but rather as something to be avoided at all cost. I don’t like it when I have to take baby steps and fall and try again repeatedly, but that’s exactly what God is teaching me — that I’m human and I do fall, but He’s right there to help me back on my feet and try again. Just like I reach out my arms for my little guy to walk into, I imagine God doing the same. Always there to catch us, while also calling us to try taking a couple more steps toward Him. I don’t mean it in a “dangle a carrot in front of your face that you can’t ever reach” kind of way, but rather in an encouraging way that calls and stretches us to become more of the person that He created us to be.

Watching the baby steps also makes me think of Peter when he walks on water. My little guy does SO much better when he keeps his eyes looking at mine, but when he drops his gaze to the floor he falls. Matthew 14:30 says, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”” Just like my little guy, Peter was fine until his gaze dropped. When he realized that he was walking on water, he started to sink, just like when my little guy realizes that he’s walking, he loses his balance and falls down. The next verse, Matthew 14:31 says, “Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”” That is similar to what it’s like watching my little guy. He takes a step and I know that he could walk if he stayed focused on me, but instead he falls because he doubts he is able to do it. Just like Jesus was there immediately to rescue Peter when he cried out, so am I when my little guy loses his balance and cries for help.

I think it’s easy to be like Peter and my little guy. We try something that we’ve never done before and forget to stay focused. We realize that we’re doing something that seems crazy because we’ve never tried it before and then begin to doubt. The baby steps are critical to our overall success because they are what lead us to walking confidently and eventually even running. There is nothing wrong with taking baby steps — I think the important thing is to stay focused. To keep our gaze on the One who called us to step out of our comfort zone and do something that might feel crazy. When we fail to keep our eyes fixed on Him, we begin to sink. He is right there to grab us when we call out to Him and He uses our failures to teach us. He is SO good and He knows that we are human. Psalm 103:13-14 says, “As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” He is compassionate toward us even in our doubt. When we drop our gaze from His face, He remembers that we are dust and shows us compassion by immediately reaching out to us and holding onto us the moment we call out to Him.

So, as I continue to learn many lessons from watching my children grow, I pray that I would remember to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. I pray that from baby steps to running, I would remember that He is right there cheering me on and desiring His best for my life. He is right there every single time I stumble and I don’t ever have to be afraid to call out to Him for rescue. He is right there to reach out and hold onto me whenever I call on His name — just like He is for every one of His children. What a good, good Father He is and what an honor and blessing it is to be loved by Him. I’m grateful for baby steps and I’m so glad that He chooses to teach me so much by watching my babies grow.

Are you the type of person that gets excited about “baby steps” in your life?

Song(s) of the Week: This week I chose “Fix My Eyes” by For King & Country because I think it goes super well with the concept of keeping our gaze fixed on Jesus — since that’s what it’s about. Enjoy!