I hit my head really hard. CLONK! We suspect I was knocked out for a few seconds - though neither of us is sure about that. My right toe was hurting.. and the groin muscle in my right leg was not happy.
My husband, Phil, was at my side immediately. "Hon, Hon, are you o.k.?" At that moment, judging from what had just happened, we both envisioned a trip to the emergency room, at the very least a sprained or broken ankle... or a slight concussion. Or SOMETHING bad and hurtful.
As it turns out I was perfectly fine. My head didn't hurt, my toe was o.k., and there was nothing sprained or broken. A few minutes later, it was like it never happened. My husband was a witness to the severity of the fall, and we both commented later that evening that it seemed like a miracle that I wasn't in a cast, or a hospital room.
As I was reflecting on it all.... I thought about Phil, worried at my side, asking me if I was o.k. He just wanted me to be o.k. He helped me up. He hovered around me. He got me an ice thingy from our freezer to put on the spot where my toe was twisted. He was in the fall with me. It's like it happened to him.
He didn't get annoyed at me. He didn't mention that the water was on the floor next to the dishwasher door, and that I had probably spilled it there when I was putting a dish I'd just rinsed off in to the dishwasher.He didn't mention that I should be more careful. He didn't mention that he was disappointed in me, or that he shouldn't have had to stop what he was doing to take care of me.
All he cared about was rescuing me from my big fall and making sure I was o.k. and not hurt.
If you'd have asked me, just ten seconds before I fell, if I thought I was going to slip and fall - I'd have said a resounding "NO WAY."
And that's the thing about falls and falling - we don't expect to FALL.
Those of us who are The Formerly Fallen have let ourselves be convinced that we will never slip up and fall again.
So that when we DO FALL... when we give in to lust, or bitterness, or envy, or hatred, or lying... we are spiritually SHOCKED.
The main component of a fall is that it is not expected.
We never EXPECT to fall.
We don't expect to have trials...big trials that shake our very faith. Trials that tempt us to wonder if God really IS good.
We don't expect to be tempted... and furthermore to give in to temptation. Who? Us? Me? You? Sin?
We don't expect there to be some slippery spot on our path that takes us from where we are walking, lifts us up in to the air, and slams us hard on the ground.
We don't expect to fall.
And that's the problem.
Because we do. Fall.
My big falls have been devastating to me. I expected them to destroy me. I expected them to put me under for good.
But they haven't.
I am always surprised as I reflect on my life and my own weaknesses, that somehow Jesus has held on to me, and not allowed my falls to cripple me.
It's a miracle of His love and mercy and grace. I can never stop thanking Him.
If you have fallen...
Jesus is right there in the fall with you.
He isn't there to tell you WHY you fell. Not now.
He just wants to help you get up and get going again.
Don't hide if you have fallen.
You are not too low to rise again.
Look up. You will see Jesus there, extending His hand and asking, "Are you o.k.?"
Take His hand today.
Let HIM lift you from the floor.
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