Tiny Hops of Hope: RARA LINK UP!
I watched with clenched fists and pounding heart.
Our young foster son, only 17-months at the time wobbled on chubby little legs.
The goose egg on his head was still protruding and very purple… and green and yellow.
The day before while trying his hand at toddling, he had toddled face first off a two-inch step on the porch and landed head long on a stone in the garden.
I had rushed to stop him, I wasn’t quick enough. I wanted to protect him, I had the best of intentions and I had failed him. Alas, he was oblivious to the danger and ready to try it again.
Fully confident in his abilities he stood and took three steps and fell.
[Tweet “Fully confident in his abilities he stood and took three steps and fell.”]
Stood, took two steps and fell.
Stood and took eight steps, stopped looked at me and smiled and clapped.
Days later, the wound on his head was gone and he was fully upright and mobile.
A month later I looked out the kitchen window and saw him running across the backyard chasing a kitten, squealing with delight.
A process began from the time he rolled over for the first time that brought us to this moment where he can run. I stood and watched the tow-headed angel boy, on confident feet sprint about the yard.
He stopped at a make-shift sidewalk chalk drawing of a hopscotch grid our youngest daughter had drawn earlier in the day. He studied the grid and then… kind of sort of – hopped.
His thick toddler feet didn’t lift.
He tried again.
Knees bent he hefted his body upward.
Nothing.
He stepped to the next square and repeated the non-hopping process. Then the next and the next. When he reached the end of the hand-drawn lattice, he clapped and returned to the top to do it again.
Most recently my husband and I were faced with an opportunity neither of us were fully confident of the outcome. On wobbly legs we prayed and stewed.
Faith of the mustard seed?
The what-ifs and the then what’s had us up nights.
[Tweet “The what-ifs and the then what’s had us up nights.”]
The fall was more than a couple of inches, the wound?
Our livelihood?
Security?
Our future?
And I said “Let’s do it! Let’s take a leap of faith!”
Still we weren’t sure of the outcome. The day before we would need to decide I headed out for a walk on our ranch. I prayed out loud, “Lord, show us what to do. It’s a leap of faith, and I am afraid of heights.”
The image of our foster love “not hopping” flashed in my mind. The delight I took in his confidence, his willingness to try again, flooded me with adoration.
I loved the security he felt.
I grinned at the bravery that had him convinced, in spite of a terrible fall, he kept on trying. Fully confident that if he tumbled… I’d come running.
[Tweet “in spite of a terrible fall, he kept on trying. Fully confident that if he tumbled… I’d come running.”]
I would be there to scoop him up, bandage his wounds, and comfort him.
Most importantly, he believed he should go for it.
It occurred to me we weren’t taking a leap of faith, but a hop of hope.
Hope for something that looked like progress and felt like an improvement.
And if we failed?
Our Father in heaven, who loves and leads us would come running. He would teach us gently and guide us in wisdom. I pictured myself placing my trusting hand in His and taking a step, then another… and another.
I gently toddle, barely hop and hope to eventually leap bravely into the unknown.
Faith of a mustard seed… hops of hope, fully confident my Lord is for me and right when and where I need Him the very most.
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you. Luke 17:5-6
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Jami, thank you for sharing your wrestling match here with us today. One thing stood out to me, and that’s how blessed your marriage is that you can pray though moments like that together. I pray that for my marriage all the time, but it’s just not my reality.
You are so blessed!
Happy Tuesday!
Megs
Dear Meg, I believe He answers this prayer. I pray He does so quickly. Blessings to you friend. Love, Jami
Thanks for hosting today! And I LOVE the name of your blog. So perfect for this mothering life!
Thanks for stopping in
Oh, how hard those tiny bits of faith can feel sometimes! Imagine if we all understood the power of our tiny grains of faith….imagine what we would do then!
(And I hate those moments when we see our little one falling and we can’t get there in time!)
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It always amazes me how the Lord leads us through the eyes of a child to the faith of a child, mustard-sized faith that moves mountains completely. I needed this dose of encouragement today Jami, a little reminder to never despise small beginnings (Zech 4) and a promise that no He will never leave us on our own. ( Is 41:10).
Thanks so much!
Blessings,
Dawn
❤
Jami,
So great to “meet” you this Valentine’s morning!
I love this post. This line is great:
“Lord, show us what to do. It’s a leap of faith, and I am afraid of heights.” and then “a hop of hope”.
We don’t have to know if anything is going to work out when we take a leap of faith. We have to know who will catch us if it doesn’t.
Great perspective!
~Sherry Stahl
xoxo
Thanks friend!
Jami, I cannot imagine who is be without the Krine from my little ones. Thank you for hosting today! Also, the link is getting a 404 error….Not a problem since this is in your home page now.
Oh no!!! Thank you for telling me.
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Faith of a mustard seed – oh, yes. That’s where I long to be, holding it firmly, faithful of the fruit soon to come. Beautiful post, Jami.
Thanks friend
Jami- I always love to read your blog. Your stories make me laugh and smile. It’s a real joy to spend time here.
Love the connection about leap of faith and hops of hope!
Doing some leaping and hopping here!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy Valentine’s Day friend. ❤
When I was a girl my Dad would say “I wouldn’t be young again unless I could be young knowing then what I know now!” I didn’t understand back then, but I do now! As a young mother, I loved Jesus but so many of my prayers were prayed in fear. I didn’t know how to let go and trust. I guess I didn’t really understand that He was for me. Because I didn’t I couldn’t just
lean in, trusting He would do what was best for us.
He answeted many of my prayers and it gave me much joy… but I didn’t understand why He shed such grace on me. On the other hand, we are never too old to learn and grow.
I enjoyed being here this morning. It is amazing how a tiny mustard see can yield so much in the life of a believer. May we keep on planting those seeds! Blessings!
Thanks for popping in!
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I love this! Isn’t it wonderful when the Lord gives us a picture lesson to reassure us of whatever it is that He is trying to teach us? 🙂
Thank you for sharing what He is teaching you with us so we can be reassured as well!
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Jami, your visual on what it looks like to walk (or hop) in faith is beautiful. I love that your toddler/foster son just kept getting up and kept trying. What security your family has offered him. God’s family can offer us that same security to try again. And, as you beautifully shared, God is right there with us, guiding us gently, helping us as we learn to walk in faith. Loved your post!
ALWAYS so good Jami! As I was reading, I was thinking about me as the bumbling baby…and then you said it. Praising my Abba Father for picking me up when I fall and dealing gently with me. Keep sharing the Light! <3
Thanks. Hey, will you email me at sacredground.stickyfloors@gmail.com???
Heart-melt! Your story took me back – and, oh, how I loved those moments – and so very much enjoyed yours. I’ve been there – the head-bumps that come from trying – the hopping that is a hop until itself. Still heart-melting. Then there’s your story – of your decision. It made me think of a decision a few years ago when God said, “Go.” I didn’t want to – but we did – and it wasn’t easy. It was the hardest time of our lives for many reasons. It felt like a huge loss, but we trusted God – and, we are just wowed about what God did (https://bluecottonmemory.wordpress.com/2014/06/27/not-a-one-was-lost/) – maybe this will encourage you on this journey God is sending you on! Thank you for this heart-melt post!!!!! It was a blessing.
Thank you! Checking it out!!! ❤
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<3
“Leaps” are scary but “hops” are something I might be able to handle. <3
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