Baby Steps

Eleven month old Caleb's heart sank gradually as he watched his father position him then take one step away from him. Then another. Then another. Then he stopped. Caleb stared into his father's expectant dark brown eyes and outstretched arms, wondering why his father had given him this unsolicited mission. Sure, he had been propping himself up against furniture and had taken just a few steps the other day while holding onto his mother's hands, but he wasn't ready for this.

“Woof woof!”, a dog sounded in the distance. Caleb turned his head towards the sound, a part of him hoping his father would focus on that instead and forget the assignment for a while. But that didn't happen.

“Caleb. Come on, come to daddy.”

Oh no.

Caleb tried pleading. He couldn't talk much yet, but he hoped with everything in him that his father would see the desperation in his eyes and look for another child to give the assignment to. It was too hard! To get to his dad, he'd have to get his hands off the couch where he was propped, and he really didn't see himself doing that. Staying in that position was way safer.

But still his dad stayed crouched, waiting patiently with outstretched arms.

Caleb sighed. He surveyed the distance between him and his dad. This seemed huge! But more importantly, there was nothing to hold on to along the way! What if he fell? What if he got hurt? What if...

“Caleb. Come to dad.”

Caleb's scared eyes found his father's smile and his worried heart started to calm. Focusing on his father's warm eyes, Caleb took his first step. Then his second. But as he was about to take his third, he realized something. To move forward at this point, he'd have to take his hands off the couch. Caleb looked down. He still had a long way to go. Wouldn't it be better to just go back now while he could? Choosing to take his hands off the couch would leave him without any other option, it would totally isolate...

“Caleb.”

Caleb looked up. There he found his father still watching, still smiling, still waiting.

Okay, here goes nothing. Caleb slowly removed his hands.

Thud! His small buttocks found the ground. Caleb's eyes filled with tears. Was this why his father made him move from where he was? Did his father not care about whether he got hurt anymore? A million questions raced through Caleb's mind yet his father remained in his position, arms outstretched. But Caleb would have none of it. His father had abandoned him by allowing his tender backside collide with the harsh floor. Caleb turned his face away.

“Caleb. Come on, you can do it!”

Caleb turned again on hearing his name. Staring intently into his father's eyes, their heartbeats fell into sync and his young mind got the message. “Trust me”, his father was saying.

Lips quivering, Caleb pulled himself to his feet. Thrusting his arms out to steady himself, he managed to take another step forward. Then another. Then another. Then another thud. Caleb was on the floor again.

But as Caleb sat on the maple wood flooring of the living room, he noticed something. The distance he had left was smaller now! He had come farther than what was left. Even though, his backside still hurt, Caleb smiled. He was almost where his father wanted him to be.

So Caleb stood again, eager to reach his goal. Finding his father's gaze still focused on him, he let out a little squeal as he took one step forward in the right direction. Then another. Then another. Then finally! Caleb's tiny hands found his father's strong hands.

Caleb let out a huge squeal of delight as his father hoisted him over his head. This was the best feeling ever! Little Caleb felt on top of the world and a laugh came from deep inside him. He had taken his baby steps, and though it wasn't easy in the beginning, it was worth it now.

As believers, it may happen that God positions and calls us for an assignment we feel incapable or scared about. So we turn our attention to other things and hope that He passes on the assignment to someone else. We do our possible best to hold out, but when we feel we might be guilty of disobedience, we resort to taking small, calculated steps towards fulfilling the assignment. We resolve to not let go of the couch in our lives so that we're not left vulnerable and without a backup plan. Simply put, we refuse to trust.

But God says to obey Him. God says to trust Him. God says to take our first steps, our baby steps. God says it's fine that we don't have it all figured out because He doesn't expect us to. He says it's fine to have times of uncertainty as long as we remember to turn to Him for strength. God says it's fine to not rush into His plans because all He needs from us is our first steps-those baby steps that we take while fixing our gaze on His warm eyes and outstretched arms because He's waiting for us at our destination. Whether we feel like it or not, we're all called to do great things. But until we let go of the couch and take our baby steps, we remain in comfort and stagnancy.

• “God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." - Mark Batterson.

• “I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” - Philippians 4:13 (AMP)