About a week ago, we experienced an awesome parenting
moment. It was a moment that moved us to tears as we watched our baby girl grow
as a person and overcome a fear. For some reason, Holly recently developed a
fear of bath time. One night she just didn’t want to get a bath and she let us
know it. There were a lot of tears in the days to follow whenever bath time
came around. We tried several different strategies from no bath at all to ditching
the baby tub for the big tub. Nothing was working, she would just cry and cry
and we felt defeated. Most of what I read about fear of baths was in older
children, so I didn’t quite get a straight answer on what to do. But, I pieced
together some information from what I did read and came up with a strategy. So,
a week ago, I got the music going, got the big tub water temperature just
right, put down a soft towel in the tub, and loaded it up with toys. Then, I
got my bathing suit on and climbed in. Holly sat in my lap at first and we just
sang and hung out. She whimpered, but that was nothing compared to the nights
before. After a few minutes, she started to show interest in splashing. So, I
slowly lowered her into the water and she starting having a hay day. She was
cackling and loving it. Holly is a happy baby, but rarely laughs. It was such a
sweet moment to see her take a risk and truly enjoy the reward. In that moment,
she conquered her fears and just grew to be more a little more independent. I
really can’t put into words how it felt as her mama to watch her take this
step. It reminds me that sometimes it is the small steps that we take that can
yield the most growth. Most of the time, it’s just a matter of taking that
first step. I am confident that much like the pride I felt for my daughter
taking this step, the Lord feels the same for us as we take steps in our growth
with Him. Through the journey, He is ready to provide us with what we need to
take those steps and guide us as we go. My family is resting in this right now
as we face big decisions in the coming weeks and months (one being: we’re
looking for our first house!). I read this verse today which struck my heart as
I am reminded of how I need to trust in the Lord with my anxieties and fears: “And
my God will meet all you needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ
Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) The Lord meets all of our needs, no matter what they
pertain to. Wherever we are, He’s been there too. Tonight, we’ll rest in that.
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