My wife falls down a lot. Seriously, since I met her, she has had a penchant for slipping, sliding, flailing, and falling. If there is a patch of ice on the ground, she will find it. If there is a crack in the sidewalk, her shoe gets caught. She has crashed down at least four or five times this winter, some of which were spectacular! And being the supportive husband, I always respond in the most appropriate manner – I laugh my fool head off!!! I check to make sure that she is alright first, but seriously, anyone falling down is funny to me. And before you judge too harshly, most of America is just like me. All those low brow home video shows are successful for a reason. It’s funny when people fall down.
Today, my wife had the opportunity to laugh at me. That’s right, I took a spill, and frankly, it was epic. My foot hit a patch of mud and I did my best attempt at a split before crashing to my hands and knees. If someone was recording it, it could have taken first prize. I would have laughed…if it hadn’t hurt so much. My body is not meant to move that way. I sat there in the mud for a moment, collecting myself and making sure nothing was broken (or ruptured…shudder…) and a realization came to me. I couldn’t get up. I was surrounded by mud, so there was no footing, and my knee hurt so bad that I wasn’t going to be able to put much pressure on it. I was stuck. Luckily, my wonderful wife, who somehow managed to not break down in a fit of laughter, was there to help me up. If she wasn’t there for me, this story could have been much more embarrassing and much more painful.
Sometimes the spills we take in life can be funny. I learned a long time ago that I might as well laugh at myself when I screw up cause everyone else was going to. We can’t take all the missteps of life too seriously. But there are times when we fall and it hurts. We are not able to right the ship on our own. We feel pain, we feel shame, and we feel stuck. In those moments, we realize that we can’t move forward on our own, that our sense of control and independence if fragile at best, and we are desperate for someone to reach out a hand and save us. We need help to get back up again.
Jesus promises that He will never leave us or forsake us if we belong to Him. He promises salvation in our times of need. In those moments in life where no one else is able to help, He comes to our rescue and puts us on our feet again. I have experienced that just as surely as I experienced Julie helping me today. If you have fallen, if life has tripped you up and left you feeling broken, He is available if you want. I would suggest getting a helping hand. It sucks lying in the mud.
Thanks for the encouraging words!! God Bless you my friend, Sylvia
Posted by: Sylvia Houston | March 11, 2011 at 01:53 AM