As I was nose to nose with my daughter on the cool floor of our basement, I watched as she struggled to rollover. She completed the roll moments before and was attempting her second go at this milestone. She turned toward me (to her right) in an attempt to roll to her tummy and at the 90 degree point she began to grunt and, with her left arm extended, the nails on her left hand scratched and grasped at the floor in hopes of pulling her self the rest of the way over. I could hear not only her grunts but also her scratches on the canvas of her play pad. This is a proud moment because… she didn’t make it. Her right arm was in the way which prevented the completion of her second rollover. Why was this a proud moment you ask? Like I said earlier, I watched her struggle to rollover… she tried and tried, numerous times, still with the grunts and grasps until… TA DA! She rolled over once more.
That made me think… naturally, because I over think and analyze everything.
One, it was fun to witness her growth and her struggle as she tried to figure out this new freedom of movement. (I wonder what goes through a baby’s mind when they are testing and trying new things. They don’t have a vocabulary, so they don’t think in words like we do. Anyone want to answer that for me?)
And two… (Here comes the over thinking), why didn’t I help her… you know, move her little arm out of the way, SHOW her what she needs to do? I did think about that while watching her but decided not to. As I was debating this in my head, it reminded me of James 1:2-4 which says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finishes its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
I'm always asking God, "why" or expecting life to be a bit more easy as a believer, you know, like I expect Him to wave His magic wand and "bibbity-bobbity-boo" my troubles drift away and turn my pumpkin into a carriage fit for a princess or "reducto" and blasts away any objects in my path. I mean, He's God and He can do all that and more, sans magic and the wand of course. God is with me ALWAYS and I know He watches me and helps me walk through the struggles. He's going to allow me to make mistakes, or stumble over a task, encounter obstacles, get sick, be angry, sad, frustrated, etc because I'll grunt, scratch and pull through these trials, this growing period, as I try to turn toward Him.
