Matthew 18:2-4 (CEB)
Cathy and I were talking outside our church with a group of young parents while most of their children were inside watching a movie. Meredith, who is approaching her first birthday, toddled onto a concrete pad nearby. As she approached the black top of the parking lot, she noticed a two-inch drop.
The abrupt surface change and slight drop caused Meredith to stop. You could see her thinking, “Is it safe to take the next step?” She rocked there for a minute or so and then bent over, and put her hands down on the ground, and scooted onto the asphalt. She stood back up and toddled over to the group.
After a minute or so, Meredith circled back to the concrete pad and approached the drop to the asphalt. She rocked for a few moments, then took a hesitant step before tipping over and catching herself on the parking lot surface. She straightened up and walked over to the group again, this time to some cheering. She circled more quickly back to the concrete pad.
As she approached the little drop, she noticed an ant. She made some excited buzzing noises for a minute or so. Then she hesitantly shuffled her feet, scooted forward, and went over the drop, this time catching herself quickly. She marched over to the group then went immediately back to the concrete pad. This time she walked right up and went over the little drop, caught her balance without tipping over, and headed to the cheering group.
I envied little Meredith’s boldness, persistence, and humility.
How many times have I let little stumbles, “failures,” or fears keep me from sticking with something or even stop me from trying? How many times have I let my fear of what people think keep me from taking steps of faith?
One of the reasons I am so weak at Spanish is because I didn’t want to look silly speaking it in front of classmates and others when I had the chance to practice it. I may never be a great singer, but might I be a better one if had cared less what others thought and sang with more energy and joy in church and other settings? I thank God that I am now taking steps to share His Word and love people a bit more boldly, even though I’m stumbling and falling all the time! I am praying God will help me, like Meredith, to step more confidently and ably.
How about you? Might you be bolder in some way, especially for Christ, if you had the persistent and humble faith of a little child?
Blessings!
Jeff