The Trent Family at Change Point
Every once in a while you have one of those experiences. I had one yesterday.
A family came into the Center to continue parenting classes. I was blessed to be the one to spend time with them.
Bobby Trent, the one with the hat on in the picture above, is holding his grandson James. Bobby is Shandi’s father. Shandi is the one with the big smile on the left of her Dad as you look at the Picture. James is Shandi’s son.
Cindy Trent, Bobby’s wife (pink shirt) was there also, along with Vanessa (blue shirt). Vanessa and Shandi are sisters.
We had our session in one of the counseling rooms at Change Point (There is a link below if you would like to see the Change Point website). The subject for the day was communication, and James was in the mood to do just that. He was chatting from the time we walked into the room, was very patient with me throughout, and clearly understood most of what went on.
While playing on the floor during the discussion, James reached over and grabbed my shoe. I had been accepted.
About half-way through our “class,” Vanessa was clearly startled by something that had happened.
I asked her about it.
“James just walked,” she said. “He walked for the first time.”
“I didn’t see it,” said his mom.
“It’s OK,” I said. “You’ll see plenty of it.”
The room was quiet.
I wish I could quote word for word what Shandi said next. Maybe Shandi remembers and can tell me. She has a great memory. She knows how I know this.
“My job just got harder,” she stated.
Laughter filled the room.
I didn’t see James take his first step and I can’t remember mine. However, I felt it an honor to be there on the day a young child began his journey.
The word “walk” is used many times in the Bible.
God said this to King Solomon:
“If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.”
Solomon began his prayer of Temple dedication with these words:
“O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart.”
These are the first words in the Psalms:
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.”
Luke describes Zacharias and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, like this:
“They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.”
In his letter to the people of Rome, Paul wrote:
“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”
James took his first steps yesterday. He is a blessed little boy. He has a mom, aunt, and grandparents who believe in the words quoted above.
I was blessed to be there for his first steps. May God continue to be with James and bless his walk through life.
Chris Reimers
Wings of the Wind 