Take the Stairs

I knew it was going to happen.  It came at absolutely no surprise. 

After watching my daughter contemplate her options I recognized the self-assured, overly confident look of fierce determination in her expression.  She was not going to utilize the steps and stair rails to get off the play set.  She was going to try to step off the ledge … a very tall ledge … especially for my petite two-year old.  She had watched her brother take the ledge with ease and being my child … she was determined to prove herself just as capable.

But, she fell … flat on her face.   As I rushed to comfort her I felt the Lord seeking to take me deeper as He often does via many of the simplest moments in my life.

It is tough for me to take the steps, but it’s even harder for me to use the stair rails.  I immediately take to the ledge to jump and stretch beyond safe measure instead of utilizing the assistance and aid that the Lord provides me via the steps and stair rails.  Sometimes it’s a result of pride and impatience, but most often it’s a direct result of choosing to rely on myself versus choosing to rely on God.

Stair Rails:  a barrier protecting pedestrians from falling off the edge of the stairs or landing. 

Steps: the course along which a person has walked or is walking; stairs; a stage or a process; the act of putting one foot in front of the other. 

God is seeking to support and balance us as we ascend and descend through the precarious moments in our life.  He does not want us to fall flat on our face seeking to accomplish His assignment through our own strength.  He provides us with steps and as we spend time invested in His Word.  He establishes a stair rail (His Spirit) along our stairwell to help us to pace ourselves, prevent us from falling off the edge, and provide us with an ability to quickly regain our balance if we should slip or stumble.  Stair rails provide us with leverage to improve and enhance our journey so that we are not completely winded and taken out by the excruciating amount of steps we may have to endure.

So, today choose to go the route God has prescribed for you and utilize the stair rails (His Spirit) as a means to support your journey.  Our Father is there to comfort us during and after each fall, but how much more empowering is it to know that He does not expect us to leap off the edge?   He’s OK with us taking the steps … no matter how small, insignificant, or unnecessary they may seem.  He wants us to take the steps so that we are afforded His help.  He knows that our stairwell tends to get cluttered and the likelihood of us encountering wear and tear, slippery surfaces, sharp corners, and dim lighting during the course of our journey is prominent … which is why it’s not enough just to take the steps … we need to use the stair rails as a source of balance, support, and assistance. 

“But God is my helper.  The Lord keeps me alive.”

Psalm 54:4 (NLT)

Ashley Ivery is a single mother of two brilliant children, Aiden and Devyn, with an overwhelming desire to empower women and help them to realize the importance of a relationship with God.  Through her writing she hopes to encourage women to claim their strength and value in Christ.  Ashley serves as the Residential Listing Partner for Team Harris Real Estate.  She graduated from Fayetteville State University in 2012 with a BS in Psychology.  Her motto is:  "Be Authentic.  Live Honestly.  Dispel Light."