DO get your hopes up!

I changed 20 diapers yesterday.  Yes, 20 diapers.  That my friends.. is a whole lot of poop.

Living with an 18 month old and a 5 week old has its challenges.  Poop being one of them. There is a time in every ones life when they solely have to depend on others for help.  I live with two little humans who are at that stage in life. I hope they read this blog post one day and chuckle when they have to change my diapers. :)

Here lately, I have been trying to teach Selah how to safely make her way down our staircase by herself.  She has not a problem one with going up.  Its the down part that has got her stumped! Our staircase seems to have really tall steps which make it hard for my very petite little girl to figure out a way to get down them without getting hurt.  She almost got a bloody nose trying to slide down on her tummy so we have been working on having her go down each step by scooting on her rear. 

There were moments where she would get completely overwhelmed and frustrated and would throw up her hands wanting me to carry her down the rest of the way.  I would go down a step and motion for her to follow.  "No, No, Mama!", she squeals at me. The first day or so she kept trying to reach for the rail to help her down.  That was almost more dangerous then sliding down on her tummy.  She watches me go down with ease as I hold onto the rail.  I can see the wheels in her head turning.  Monkey see, Monkey do.  She about takes a nose dive down the stairs trying to reach for that railing.  "Selah, you can't go down like Mommy.. the safe way for you to go down is on your bottom."  Selah's reply, "No-No."

Days of continuous frustration.. I finally just swung her up into my arms and carried her up and down the stairs while holding Sterling as well.  We looked like an ongoing circus act.  She smiles and grins as she coasts through the process, content with the new solution... back to square one. 

A few days later we made our way into town to raid Walmart and a few other places.  At one of those places there just happened to be stairs.  There was a family in front of us and Selah watched as each child made their up and down the stairs with ease.  I could tell she was watching them like a hawk.  As we approached the stairs I began to swing her up into my arms in fear that her frustration would lead to a full on baby melt down in public.  She pushed me away and began to make her way down the stairs by herself.  With caution, she slowly lowered her bottom onto each stair as she made her way down.  I watched in total amazement.  As she reached the bottom of the stairs she looked back at me and squealed with delight.  She had finally figured it out!  Then for the next thirty minutes she made her way up and down the stairs repeatedly, reliving the joy.

Watching her go up and down those stairs I thought on this, "And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope and expectation are in You." Psalm 39: 7

The past few weeks Andrew and I have been bombarded with situations and multiple circumstances that have forced us to surrender to this scripture.  Our pastor has been preaching on getting your hopes up in Christ.  The past few weeks I have found myself completely frustrated with people and other circumstances just like Selah has been with our staircase.  Why am I so frustrated when this person lets me down?  So on and so forth.

Selah was super frustrated because she was trying so hard to find a way to reach the bottom of the stairs without doing it the only way that she could.  Her expectation in attempting to climb down the stairs was to arrive at the bottom safely.  Her frustration came when she put her hope in the things that could not help her like the simple act of putting her bottom to the stairs could.  The railing was out of reach, sliding down would break her neck..  the best option would be for her to put her hope in the stairs themselves. 

God is calling me to put my hope in him.  Why do I feel the need to meet all of my expectations with things that are only going to let me down?  My husband cannot meet all of my needs, my children cannot meet all of my needs, my friends can't, my church can't, my pastor can't... etc.  God is the only one that can needs all of my needs and in the best way that they can be met.   And when people and circumstances of this world meet a need.. let it be like icing on the cake.  A pleasant and sweet surprise that blesses us.

Today, my goal is to depend on Christ first and foremost.  Join me.  You will happy and less sore once you reach the bottom of the stairs!