"This is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it!" I am sure you sang it in your head just as I did as I typed it. You all know me well enough to know that I bust out in random song ALL THE TIME and I have no shame!
This morning Sophie and I headed to church just as we do every Sunday. We arrived and Sophie was snatched from me even before I was able to open the back hatch of the van to get her reverse walker out of it! Every Sunday I have been trying to have Sophie walk in to church. Not only is it the most adorable site ever, but Sophie needs to walk with purpose. She will be more motivated to walk in to something or someplace instead of just walking to walk. Besides, she may look tiny but she is a mover and a shaker and she gets heavy. Today she didn't have that opportunity because there was so much love needing to be poured out on Sophie that she was carried right in!
We choose our seats and I let Sophie stand with her walker and she doesn't seem to care that she is there. She doesn't seem to want to be in it either. I saw there were cookies and doughnuts out so I grabbed a doughnut and bribed Sophie with it. Between the smiles and the mile long shoestring drool Sophie tried to get to the doughnut but she wasn't moving without help. Worship started and I took my place on the floor in front of Sophie. We have an informal setting at church which I absolutely love! As Sophie would try to get to me I would scoot back a little further. I would reward her with a little piece of her doughnut and she would flash me that million dollar smile that goes straight to the heart every time!
Worship continued and I continued to sit on the floor while Sophie was still upright in her reverse walker. Something clicked and she started walking with her walker ALL BY HERSELF. I couldn't scoot back fast enough. Not only did Sophie walk a few feet alone, but she kept going and going and going. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that it was probably 30-40 feet on her own.
As I was sitting there crying I was watching my daughter do something we were told she might not ever do. Not only was she doing it but she was doing it so well. Like she has known all along how to do it but wanted all of us to know that she was doing it on her terms. In this moment I looked around and I could see very few people watching Sophie because they were worshiping the Lord, which they were supposed to be doing, and I was thankful for that. I have never wanted Sophie to be a distraction for anyone at church, although she is a welcomed one, and today was no different. I was in the moment watching my daughter do something we had been praying for her to do. She was walking...without someone pushing from behind or holding her walker. I didn't grab my phone and try to capture the moment because I was completely engrossed in what she was doing.
I have found myself wanting to capture special moments with Sophie with my camera instead of taking them in, breathing them in and letting the actual moment consume me. Yes, I love being able to look back on a picture and remember the moment. It brings warmth in to my heart and a smile to my face but there was nothing more special them being able to be there to see her take her official first, assisted by a walker, steps today.
As I was trying to hold back the tears I looked at Sophie with amazement. Sophie is truly the bravest person I know. She knows no fear, no limits and knows that she gets to make the rules! All in God's perfect timing!
