Growing Up

March 20, 2008

By Christina Quick

There she was, her little face all aglow, taking three wobbly baby steps. Even as I cheered and held out my arms, I couldn’t help but think how each new step would take her farther from my embrace.

I’ve noticed parenting is like that. Holding on and letting go. I prayed that when the time came, I would let her run full speed.

Now she is 9 and taking more big steps toward independence. “When I grow up, I’m going to be a marine biologist and save the manatees,” she tells me earnestly. Later in the day, as we snuggle with a book, she whispers, “I don’t want to grow up because then I’ll be too big to sit on your lap.”

I’ve noticed childhood is like that. Looking ahead and pausing to glance back. I pray that when the time comes, she will know God’s plan and find her stride.

“It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms …” (Hosea 11:3, NIV).

Children aren’t the only ones who must grow. As followers of Christ, we are called to keep moving forward in our relationship with God — taking steps of faith and learning to walk according to His will. God wants us to be mature, but not self-reliant. In fact, the more we grow spiritually, the more dependent we will be on God. As He takes us by the arms and teaches us how to walk, we become more like Christ and better equipped to accomplish big things for Him. And at the end of the day, He still invites us, His beloved children, to crawl into His lap and rest in His embrace.

I’ve noticed serving Jesus is like that.

— Christina Quick is staff writer for Today’s Pentecostal Evangel and blogs at Refrigerator Art (cquick.agblogger.org).