Devotion

Baby Steps
By Deborah Schoenfelder

“For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.”
Psalm 18:31-33

“For I am the Lord, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,
Do not fear; I will help you.”
Isaiah 41:13

“I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step, You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days.”
From the song: Step By Step, Rich Mullins, 1991

Our granddaughter Cali didn’t walk until she was 18 months old. From the time she celebrated her first birthday, we all cheered Cali’s every effort to stand and walk as her twin sister ran circles around her. Any little hint that she would walk on her own without the assistance of others was a victory. As time went on, there was no doubt we were all concerned as we saw that little girl working so hard to stay on her feet. Cali was especially responsive to her Papa Jim’s soft spoken encouragement. And then eventually, Cali walked independently and there was no turning back. I could see the joy in her face-being on her feet was thrilling-and a lot more fun than crawling. Now, Cali runs like the wind, keeping us all on our toes.

As I look back and reflect on Cali’s effort to walk, those baby steps ring true in my faith journey. Maybe yours as well? There was no momentous “Aha” experiences for me. Over the years, it has instead been a life of taking a few steps forward and then a step or two back. And there’s also been times when I’ve hesitantly taken little wobbly steps in my spiritual growth, and then I would end up sitting down with a thud after losing my balance. Those “thuds” might have been a broken marriage, a lost relationship, or a deeply disappointing outcome at work not getting something for which I had put out so much effort.

What I have discovered over the years is that the steps backward and the falling down have made the forward movement all the sweeter: Times like trusting another person enough to marry again, reuniting with a loved one after years of painful separation, and being recognized publicly for a job well done. These steps forward help blunt the not-so-sweet moments that are sure to come along the way. Then at some point in one’s life if we keep searching and trying to grow our faith, there’s the thrill of understanding the joy of a loving relationship with our parent God. It is so freeing that we feel we can run like the wind! The refrain of the 2008 song “By Your Side” proclaims we are never alone, whether we are on our feet striding with ease or we are just stumbling along:

“I’ll be by your side wherever you fall,
In the dead of night whenever you call,
And please don’t fight these hands that are holding you,
My hands are holding you.”
(Performed by musical group Tenth Avenue North)

Have your travels in faith been slow and steady with some back and forth like mine? Or can you point to a specific event or moment in your life when you knew there was no turning back from a life with God at the center? Have you been excitedly cheered on as you question and nurture your faith, or has there been a steady reassuring “Papa Jim” type there to offer you a gentle hand? Whatever your experience, and wherever you are now, the Good News is that we are loved completely-just as we are. Hallelujah!

Prayer: Loving Father, we are humbled and amazed by the unfailing strength of your arms that guide us in our journey of faith. When we take hesitant baby steps, you are there. When we stumble and fall, you are there. And when we run with joy, YOU ARE THERE! For all of this and more, thank you. AMEN.

Selected songs that speak to the strength of God:
Take My Hand, Precious Lord, Thomas A. Dorsey, 1932
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, Anthony J. Showalter and Elisha Hoffman, 1887
Standing on the Promises, R. Kelso Carter, 1886
Just a Closer Walk with Thee, Author unknown
Strong Enough, Matthew West, 2011
I Will Follow, Chris Tomlin, 2010
By Your Side, Tenth Avenue North, 2008