Psalm 119:129-136

Psalm 119:129-136 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Watching a child learn to walk is endlessly fascinating.  For those of us who have been walking for some years, it is taken for granted.  I doubt you spend much time thinking about how to walk, unless you've suffered some debilitating injury or been disabled in some other way.  There is doubtless some section of the brain dedicated to controlling such tasks, but it's cruising mostly on autopilot, which is why it's so starting when we trip -- we were moving right along without thought, and suddenly the entire body has to be prepared for an unexpected change.
  When kids learn to walk, it's all new.  They have to figure out how to balance and use their feet and what moves when.  It's an entirely new adventure, each step a new delight, and there are frequent failings along the way.  What's unbeatable is the sense of the toddler's delight at every advance.
  Sometimes, I like to think of God as a proud parent, holding us up by the arms, teaching us how to walk in our Kingdom-of-God shoes.  They're so new, so different, that we aren't quite sure how to move, and so we stumble every which direction, staggering around like we're dizzy as can be, but God gently supports us, pointing us in the right direction, orienting us so that we slowly learn to walk.  When we reach the Kingdom of Heaven, we'll be ready, because God has been teaching us.  Until then, let's not forget that we can't walk on our own -- only God can do this for us.  But may we have that same toddler-like sense of delight and wonder with each and every step!