Hi Friend,
I hope your summer is going well! It’s super busy over here. The kids are out on break, which means my hands are full—but a good full! To jumpstart the summer, we decided to take a short cruise to the Bahamas. It was a much-needed vacation, and we really enjoyed our time together. But, just like God, there were also moments where He was teaching me valuable lessons about life. I’d like to share with you one of the simplest yet most profound.
On the cruise, there was an ice rink, and my middle child, Amie, wanted to try ice skating for the very first time. Now, my Amie is definitely the child who leads and tries first. She doesn’t need much prompting—she just intuitively goes for it. While I was hesitant to let her get on the ice, she was eager to master this challenge. And if I’ve learned anything about parenting her, it’s that I need to foster this gift by allowing her to explore. So, onto the ice she went.
She shakily put on her skates and took one step onto the ice. She began with a support instrument to help her stand without falling. I watched her looking at her feet, carefully determining which foot should go after each step. Lap by lap, she began to find her stride. Around lap three, I saw her put away the instrument that had been helping her keep her balance. My heart dropped! What if she falls?! She was the only child on the rink, and in true Amie fashion, she didn’t want any help. As I began to stand up to call her, the Holy Spirit whispered, “Let her try.”
Within seconds, I saw her stand tall on her own, holding onto the rails. Step by step, she kept moving. After two laps, I noticed she was now skating with a rhythm! By the fourth lap, she let go of the banister—and she was skating by herself! This little 6-year-old, on an ice rink surrounded by adults, was skating as if she had been doing it for years.
In that moment, God spoke to me. As much as it was teaching her to take leaps of faith and try even when unsure of how it will end, He wanted me to remember that faith and confidence are developed in moments of perseverance—even when it’s uncomfortable. I was so proud of Amie, and so inspired by her tenacity and determination to keep trying and grow, little by little.
3 things you can learn about perseverance and developing your faith from this story:
Perseverance teaches you to depend on God’s strength, not just your own. When you keep going, even unsure, you make space for His power to show up.
Small steps of courage lead to big moments of growth. Each lap of faith builds confidence for the next.
Faith isn’t developed in comfort—it’s formed in the stretch. God often calls us beyond what feels safe so we can see Him more clearly.
I hope this encourages you to keep moving forward in faith—even when it’s hard.