Our baby took her first steps last night! (Does that mean she is a toddler now? I am not ready for that!) It was an amazing thing to watch. I am so excited that Dwight and I were both there to see it AND that he also was right there to catch her after 4 steps was her max! Oh AND I was recording at the moment!!!! (For those who know me this is huge and I am so thankful we can watch it over and over!!!!) The video is posted a bit further down in this post! (so you can watch it over and over again too if you like! 😉 )

There are so many things that happened in the 20 seconds or so it took her to walk and for us to celebrate!

• She stepped out and took the first steps!
• Her daddy was amazed as he watched her!
• She saw herself in the mirror and smiled as she stepped out!
• She took 4 steps and was going to fall buuut….
• Her daddy caught her before she fell!
• Her daddy exclaimed “SHE DID IT!!!!” as he ran down the hall celebrating!

After walking up and down the hall using her walker several times… back and forth from momma to daddy… our little one got brave…let go…stepped out… and took 4 steps!!!! All of the sudden she walked! It happened so fast that it didn’t really click until I watched the video over and over! I will forever be thankful that I just happened to be recording this once in her lifetime moment and that the 3 of us experienced it together!!!

She stepped out and took the first steps yall! She is my example right now and not the other way around. Her first steps challenged me to step out! In my walk with God I tend to want to hold on… to stay comfortable… to continue using my “walker”! Well… I think I need to be more like Sarah. I think she was able to take these first steps because she knew her daddy was right there! Did you get that? Do we know our daddy (our heavenly Father, our Abba) is right there? No one made her do it… she did it willingly and with a smile on her face! 😀 Oh, that we would trust that our heavenly Father is right there and step out with a smile! 

Ok … here is the video so you can watch it too!

Did you notice Dwight’s face? If not… watch it again…. it’s worth it! Her daddy was amazed as he watched her! I can’t help but compare the joy of her earthly father watching her take her first steps to that of our heavenly Father and the joy it must bring Him as we step out as well!

Did you notice Sarah’s face? She saw herself in the mirror and smiled as she stepped out! She smiled yall!!! 

 Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the [a]future. Proverbs 31:25-31

I think so often we pout and fear change… fear stepping out… that we delay trusting God and therefore delay and deny ourselves a chance to smile! 

I know she was in her PJ’s but she was also wearing strength and dignity! I’m pretty sure she stood up straighter as she started to walk! Either way she was definitely smiling at the future! 😀 … Momma was too! 😀

Because she stepped out a whole new world has opened up to her! It has always been there but she just didn’t have access to it…yet. She had to grow and gain strength… and practice…. and fall down… and get back up… A LOT! But now she can reach things she couldn’t before. She can go places on her own now! (note to self: we need to put up more baby gates!) Her steps challenged me to step out and reach for things I couldn’t reach before!

Isn’t that just like our walk with God? We need to grow and gain strength… and practice… and fall down… and get back up… A LOT! This prepares us for what God has in store for us to do! It prepares us for a whole new world of blessings and opportunities that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach! 

Sure she only took 4 steps and almost fell down… but how many of us don’t even take the first step because we are afraid of falling? I know for me… the fear of falling is usually worse than the actual fall. IF I even ended up falling. And don’t forget that her daddy caught her! Won’t our heavenly Father do the same?!

We have to trust Him. We have to believe Him. We have to believe His word and that He is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do! Otherwise…. what is the point? 

After she took those 4 steps and Dwight picked her up… he didn’t complain because she only took 4 steps… he tossed her in the air as he exclaimed “SHE DID IT!!!!” and then he ran down the hall to me celebrating! (side note – Cutest dad moment ever!)

Don’t you think God reacts like that when we step out in faith doing what He has called us to do? I would venture to say that He does that after every step! He runs down the streets of gold yelling “She DID IT!!!” while getting all the angels to look! 

So, don’t let the enemy scare you out of your calling! Don’t let him rob you of smiles! Don’t let him deny you all the things God has in store for you to reach! Don’t let him guilt you in to stopping because “you aren’t making any progress”… The devil is a liar and if you weren’t making any progress he wouldn’t be trying to stop you. 

This week… step out… trust God… and see what wonderful new worlds He will give you access to… and how He will rejoice over you! 

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”  ZEPHANIAH 3:17