Learning How to Reach

Learning how to reach for things is a developmental milestone that most of us don’t emphasize – it’s one that we don’t always video tape or brag to others about –  we usually wait for the event of walking or sitting up. Reaching for things is a milestone normally achieved between 3-6 months, and is vital for pulling up to sit up, etc. 

My girl, at 23 months, has learned how to reach for things. It’s something I brag about – something I almost tear up when I see. Seeing her not only connect the dots that she wants that item, but putting in the effort to use all her little muscles in order to reach for it, simply moves me and makes me so proud. Typically she reaches for it, changes positions, reaches for it again – and repeats that cycle until she gets what she wants. 

Paige’s speech therapist recently commented on it, saying “It is so good she’s motivated for what she wants! Some children don’t want to put in the effort.”

It got me thinking – what do I reach for? Am I putting in the effort?

There are many reasons we may not be able to reach. I want you to use your imagination for what you’re reaching for. For me, personally, it is God’s grace. Reaching for God and His love. I’m currently reading “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers, and trying to put myself in the woman’s place – the one who sees love, yet she’s not reaching for it – she’s simply running away.

Sometimes reaching is stunted. We don’t learn it as fast as we need to – maybe we were raised by parents who didn’t allow us to reach, who laughed at us when we began to try. Maybe a traumatic event caused our brain wires to shift a certain way and we don’t even know how to reach. Perhaps someone never took the time to teach us how to reach – or showed us why it is important. Or, the sad one – we know how, we just simply don’t want to use the muscles to reach. 

Learning how to reach for Gods grace and embrace it is something that has been a very difficult thing for me to learn. God is ALWAYS and has always reached for me – the scriptures talk about His powerful right hand and the things He accomplishes with it for his people’s sake. Yet so often the people don’t reach back – they reach to something else, something harmful, or they are too apathetic to reach at all. 

In the past two years, I feel as though I’ve begun to reach – to reach for being loved, to realize Christ’s blood has made me worthy – made me worthy to fight, to love myself, and to love others. I can now reach with confidence, because Christ died for me. 

 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Phil. 3:14

What are you reaching for? Is it harmful? Or are you too apathetic to reach for what’s most important? 

Reaching is important. It’s the skill that we often ignore. Yet its the way we get to things we need – the things that help us to keep going. 

Learn how to reach – and praise others for doing the same.