I can do it by myself

We found this cute little slide at a yard sale a few weeks back. I had to clean it up and find a place for it. I set it outside last week for Meg to play on and she was so excited. I was trying to get something done inside and she kept coming in and grabbing my hand to take me outside to help her slide down. After 10 minutes and 47 trips, I decided that whatever I was doing was not as important as teaching my daughter a new skill. So, for the next hour or so we sat on the porch in the sun and learned to slid down the slide. Climbing up wasn't a problem. There was a bit of a problem trying to sit down right once she got up there. That's when the real problem started. She wanted to come down, she knew it was fun, but she didn't want to do it on her own. That first push is hard. She was afraid to do it on her own. After many, many tries, and a few gentle pushes, she decided she could do it on her own. She was so proud of herself.

(Sorry the video is sideways.)

Later that night I was thinking back on my day. I see this in my own life all of the time. I see something new, fun, or intriguing and I really want to do it. Sometimes I don't want to take the time to learn how to do it by myself though. I can see my Father in Heaven taking the time to hold my hand while I learn the new skill. I can see His encouragement in my life and sometimes feel His gentle push. It sometimes takes a long time, but eventually I get it and I am happy He took the time to teach me.