My nine month old daughter Octavia is on the move.
She jukes from one direction to another like she’s got a highlight reel to film. And for me, combined with a mobility limited wife, that presents unique challenges.
Octavia has a radar for small objects, sharp corners, and rotating fans. You put her down, changing table, bed, lap, floor, and within seconds she’s trying to crawl across time and space. Her curiosity is beautiful… and dangerous.
There’s a number of ways to respond to the challenge she presents of safety versus exploration.
🧱 1. Limit Choices
Put her in a pen. Fence her in. Take away danger by taking away freedom. This keeps her safe, but it also limits her exploration.
🙏 2. Let Go Completely
Some let the child run free and say, “God will protect them.” No limits. No stops. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it doesn’t.
📱 3. Distract with Devices
Hand over the tablet. Curiosity gets muted. The world becomes safer, not because she’s more aware, but because she’s too occupied to wander.
✨ 4. Stewardship in Motion
Giving her freedom. Letting her explore.
But being present, vigilant, and ready to redirect the moment danger arises.
It requires sacrifice, attention, and constant course correction. But it teaches her to move, not just be moved.
And isn’t that all of us?
Teens. Adults. Christians. Leaders. Parents.
We’re all navigating some version of curiosity and risk. Some choose control. Others avoid. But the real challenge is freedom within boundaries.
It’s stewardship.
And through it all, my wife displays what I can only call sacrificial stewardship. Though her mobility is limited and her body is often wracked with pain, she rises to the task of motherhood with a grace that humbles me. I’m able bodied and still find myself worn out from the constant lifting, chasing, and redirecting. Yet she does it too, and more, without complaint, with a gentle smile, and with a love that pushes through the pain. It’s a quiet kind of strength, and it’s holy.
And Octavia juking toward the fan again reminds me that leadership, love, and growth are always moving targets.
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