The gift of walking

My little Oliver started walking this week. For whatever reason, seeing your baby walk is not classified as a wonder of the world, but it should be. Nothing makes you happier, yet sobbing like a lunatic quite like those first steps.

Well this morning I was doing my Bible study and Oliver was practicing his newly discovered talent. I usually do my Bible time when the kiddos are not awake so that I avoid adult ADD, but it didn't work out that way today. I was reading and he was walking. Let me rephrase that. He was walking and I was trying to read.  Needless to say I was getting a little distracted. He's just so cute. His chubby little legs take a few steps, his legs wobble, he tries to balance. You can tell he's timid about the whole thing, yet excited at the same time. And when he falls, he laughs and gets up and does it again. So innocent and so adorable.

Well God took me right where I was today. I've been reading about Barnabas and Paul in Acts. Until a couple of weeks ago, I'm not sure I knew who Barnabas really was, despite 28 years in church. However, he's my new fascination. He was an encourager, and in a lot of ways more of a behind the scenes kind of guy. Yet God used him in so many ways. It's so easy to focus on the smallness of our lives...things we don't even think of as monumental at all...washing dishes, folding the laundry...walking. However, by accepting where we are, giving thanks for these small, minute details, praising God for the gifts we have instead of waiting for something bigger to come, we glorify Him. It's easy to look at the person sitting beside you and compare their walk of life to your own wobbly advances. You think, wow, God's got something big in store for them. Their steps are important, but mine aren't, so I will just stay still. I know I personally have wondered how God would ever use me and my little life. Well the answer is right in front of me; He already is using me. I don't know His plan, but when I just open up myself up to Him, walk in faith with Him, I will see what He has in store for me. And I will be happy right where I am. It's just like Oliver's little steps this morning. You trust God's plan...take a few steps. Your legs wobble...you keep trusting and keep going. And when you fall on your butt, laugh, and view it as a gift to be able to start over again. You don't sit there upset that you're just learning to walk and others are running. You just keep at it, happy for the moment and the opportunity. And even if these little steps mean nothing to the big, giant world (they may never even know it!), it does impact those around you, and that alone is enough for me.