That Scary Next Step

This segment of "Things I Have Learned From My Daughter" was first written and shared in my May 2007 newsletter.

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Sadly, I can't find any pictures of the time Rachel was just learning to walk, so I'll have to make do with other favorite pictures.

In the months after Rachel’s first solo steps, I saw an interesting facet of her personality.  She was very cautious in new situations.  With even a slight change of elevation, she would hold onto the door frame with both hands and carefully edge her way from one level to the other.   

Still more interesting was watching her move from one kind of surface to another.  For instance, in a friend’s house where we sometimes visit, we cross at least five different surfaces, including a wooden bridge, between the house and the car, with no change of elevation.  Still, Rachel would either hold onto something, or drop to all fours, crawl from one surface to the other, stand back up, and continue on her way.   

Apparently, each new surface looked like a daunting, potentially dangerous challenge.  How different things were, though, when she made the trip while holding my hand.  With her hand in mine, nothing was scary.   

Time has passed, and Rachel no longer drops to all fours…at least not as often.  She handles familiar changes in elevation without holding onto the door frame.  However, she still often waits for me to give her my hand when stepping onto that wooden bridge.

I don’t think we ever completely outgrow feeling anxious when we encounter something new and strange in our life journey.  The challenges, perhaps even pain and heartache, which accompany the unfamiliar may seem overwhelming.  We might feel that in some sense we are “holding onto the doorframe with both hands” or “dropping to all fours” to simply make it through the day.   

The good news is that we don’t have to handle these challenges on our own.  Rachel only needed to reach for my hand to find all the help and confidence she needed to take that scary next step.  We, too, only need to reach out to our Heavenly Father Whose hand is always there.  When we do, we find the things that seemed so overwhelming when we were on our own suddenly are not as threatening.   

Sometimes, the thing that dismayed us turns out not to be such a big deal after all.  Other things will always be a major challenge.  Just as Rachel still reaches for my hand before stepping onto the wooden bridge, we can reach out to our Father again and again when we face things that continue to be bigger than we are.  His hand is always there.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.   

Philippians 4:13