Brad Hall: HALL THINGS CONSIDERED: We can't walk without God holding our hands

Jun. 13—In my last two columns, I discussed a couple of different news stories which were both crazy in their own way. This week, I wanted to get back to what's really important and that's bringing you all up to speed on our baby boy Jaxson.

He turned 11 months old on Tuesday and will be celebrating his big first birthday in just four short weeks. Even as I'm typing these words out, it's hard for me to believe as this past year has just flown by. And as that time has flown by, Jaxson seems to make progress and learn new things just as quickly.

First off, he has gotten so big that he's outgrown a lot of the things he could fit into as a much smaller baby. The days of him fitting into his swing and his bassinet are far behind us. It's been several months since he's slept in his bassinet and even longer since he's been in his swing.

But now he's even gotten too big for the top levels of his bigger beds.

He sleeps in the bottom level of his Pack n Play bed because he'd roll right out if he was in the top level. We have a big crib too but we honestly just use it right now for getting him dressed. So we still have that bed at its top-level setting although we should probably lower it soon as well just to be extra safe.

We've made it a regular habit over the past couple of months to sit him in his high chair at the table whenever my wife Carmen and I have dinner. By doing this, he has gotten used to eating with us, and knows that when we eat, it's also time for him to eat.

This has given us the opportunity to try some new foods with him to see what he likes. Many of the meals we eat usually have a little something we can chop up into little bites to let Jaxson have a taste.

Sometimes he will try to stick as much of it in his mouth as possible, while other times he just makes a big mess with it. OK — he makes a big mess every time, but sometimes he'll at least eat some of the food too.

It has certainly worked in teaching him the habit of when to eat, but of course anytime we raid the fridge for a snack now, Jaxson has to have a snack too. We keep cans of these little snacks called Puffs that he can eat which quickly melt in his mouth. He loves the blueberry- and banana-flavored ones for sure.

Our baby has also made big strides in his mobility.

He now does a full baby crawl on his hands and knees instead of the army-style crawl that he had been doing. And you wouldn't think anyone could crawl that fast, but he gets from room to room in the blink of an eye. If you turn your head for a second, he's gone.

He's also getting very close to making his first steps too. He gets around very well doing what they call "cruising" which means he walks around while holding onto something like a couch or coffee table.

Jaxson can also walk around while pushing a walker or while we hold his hands. When he wants to, and when he avoids obstacles, he can walk all over the house while pushing his walker or while we hold his hands.

I can't help but be reminded of the song a father and son sing in our church called, "I Can't Even Walk Without You Holding My Hand."

Isaiah 41:13 says, "For I the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

It should bring us encouragement to know that our almighty God is holding our hands. He's looking out for us and he absolutely knows what is best for us.

We often pull our hands away in our sinful nature. But we quickly realize that doing so is foolish as we should want to rest in his care and his attention to our well-being.

Are you feeling anxious or afraid of anything today? Then I would suggest closing your eyes and meditating on the words of Isaiah 41:13. Try to picture the Lord like a loving father holding your hand as you walk together along life's paths.

We need to always remember that God promises to help us with whatever concerns us and he will always know what is best for all of us.