Sitting down on our back steps, I gently picked up my Bible and started reading from it. After reading a small passage, I glanced into the beautiful sunset just starting. The wind gently blew my hair, adding a pleasant relief to the hotness. Hearing squeals and giggles, I smiled and turned towards the noise. Our neighbors had a little girl, about a year and a half old. This little girl is the happiest girl ever. Always with a smile on her face and a hand quick to wave at anybody, she can find pleasure in the slightest things. Intrigued by placing a small cup inside a bigger one, she was finding this so amusing she just had to show her mommy. Toddling over unsteadily to her mother, she tripped on the cemented steps and landed on her knees. This only wiped the smile on her face off her for a second. The next second, she picked herself up, smiled, and continued slowly toddling towards her mother, not forgetting for a second what she found so funny.
It's much like this in our Christian walk. We set our minds on a goal--to be more Christlike--and slowly, ever so slowly, progress closer and closer to that goal. Often, throughout this walk, we stumble, much like the little girl. And stumbling can definitely be discouraging. Whether we fall on the ground from a large height, or only a small height like the little toddler, it's disappointing. It's easier to just give up on our goal all together. To say that we stumble too much and will never make it there. After all, we know that, even if we get up and try walking again, we'll stumble countless more times.
God knew we would stumble. He knew we would get discouraged. He knew we would lose focus of Him. He knew. The amazing thing? God's grace covers us. All of us. No matter how many times we stumble, He'll be there for us, reaching out His hand. No matter how many times we get discouraged, He'll be there for us, waiting for us to turn to His word and look for encouragement. No matter how many times we lose focus of Him, He'll help us refocus our attention on Him. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." His grace is sufficient for you. That grace didn't come at a cheap price. But He gave it to us because we are worth it. It doesn't matter how many times we stumble, fall into a huge pit, or mess up, He's waiting for us to turn back to Him. And when we do? He covers us with His amazing, endless grace and once again focuses our attention back on Him.
Kayla Joy
