Learning to walk.................

I wanted to share something the Lord showed me recently through my little guy, Cross. I am by no means a natural at knowing the needs for childhood development. I know how to wash hands, clothes, and now bottoms very well. I can get him to sleep at night and attempt to avoid fits, but I have not the foggiest of how to help his little brain grow. SO, as you can guess, yes I have read a book! I know for this thing called child rearing it is going to take many more books, but I have been so very thankful for the help this one has offered this getting a clue mom to be! It is in the series called "Baby Wise" and this book is called "Toddler Wise". It goes over how important it is for toddlers to touch, feel, and experience life. It has opened my eyes to all the learning that goes on in one day, even one hour, and all the while it has made me marvel at God's creation. Little Cross' brain is learning a mile a minute and it is up to this mommy to try to facilitate that growth as much as possible.

So last week, Cross and I went on a very toddler appropriate adventure right here in our own back yard. We have not been a toddler on many warm days so we are still learning how to simply walk in grass. The hardwood and the carpet of the home offers such a smooth surface that he is sailing along in there just fine, but we needed to learn how to walk on more of a rocky terrain. I sat with a book while Cross walked all around our backyard. I didn't mind if the jeans got dirty and I knew we were taking a chance on having some minor bumps and bruises along the way, but this mom had to send her son off to learn. I was so proud as he struggled along. I cheered as he got up for the 400th time and started again. I pulled him away when he got over in an area where some kind of a nut from a tree had fallen and it was simply too hard for him to stand.

I was amazed at all the steps this little guy has ahead as he learns to walk. I thought to myself, first he had to learn to walk on a level surface, now on grass, soon he will have to learn to walk on sand and then the Lord spoke to me and said "and one day he will have to learn to walk on water". I knew instantly what the Lord was saying to this proud momma. I knew He was saying that this lesson I was watching right in front of my eyes was an exact correlation to our walk in the spiritual realm. At first the Lord just steadies us on our feet with the safety of a flat surface then, WHEN WE ARE READY, He sends us out to the unevenness of the back yard, then on to sand as we grow and then finally to the ultimate journey, a walk of faith, a walking on water.

Over these past few years the Lord has slowly but surely allowed us to walk on a flat surface with a brand new faith in our Savior. Then He steadied our feet on the grass and allowed us to stumble our way forward as we began our journey of grace. Then the sand, the slippery unevenness of the sand and now the water! I know our "walk" may often look so random. It certainly does to us! Please bare with us as these are some of our first adventures walking on water. We have tried our very best to keep our eyes focused solely on Jesus along the way, but just as Cross has had spill after spill on the uneven grass, I am certain our journey has not been without some as well. We wish there was an instantaneous way to achieve these newly needed skills, but they can only be obtained by the vigorous journey of being sent out by our Father to learn! I am so thankful that He, like this proud momma, is cheering us on! I am thankful that He doesn't get frustrated like a heavy task master, but that He is just thrilled that we get up and try again! I feel like at this point it is a daily or often hourly decision to focus on the Savior and not the storm.

I am writing to ask you guys to please continue to pray us through. I want desperately to pray for all of you as well, one by one. I would love for every single reader to write a comment and tell me how I can pray for you specifically. I am asking you wholeheartedly to please keep praying for us as the storm often seems much louder than the Savior's voice. I want to take this Jesus thing all the way. I don't want to give up, to give in, or certainly not to drown! I love you all!

K