Kalan, my youngest grandson, and I were down on the ground playing in our living room. I had his toys set up and was truly just enjoying a few moments when I needed to get up so I rolled over to get myself off the floor.
As I was getting up, my foot stepped on Andros’ larger Power Ranger action figure and it hurt badly enough that my immediate reflex was to pull up. However, I wasn’t in a fully upright position so what started out as me getting off the floor turned into me falling headfirst toward several metal chairs leaned up against the wall. Followed by said chairs toppling on top of me. It was a truly beautiful moment. I was on the floor, laughing and crying at the same time. My entire family was asking if I was ok, and I couldn’t even speak. It wasn’t because I was hurt, but it was this weird combo of knowing how ridiculous I looked combined with the pain of falling into a wall that had me laughing until I couldn’t breathe. With some effort, Chris finally got me off the floor.
Settled on the couch for a few minutes later, I looked over to Rylan, my son, and asked, “Did I at least look graceful as I fell?” He immediately started laughing and replied, “Not even a little.”
Falling is never graceful. I can remember many times where I’ve stumbled and fallen in my walk with God. I’ve been disobedient to what He has told me and taken a tumble down a path I never should have gone down. It’s a slippery slope and very easy to do. I know I’d like to think it was a simple fall, not one that was noticeable, perhaps even a little graceful.
I know now that there isn’t a fall that involves moving away from God that even remotely looks graceful. When we fall, it’s big. It’s big because we’re not honoring our relationship with Him. I’m thankful that He’s a God of many chances, and that despite those ungraceful falls, He still never leaves us.
He tells us in Psalm 37:24, “When he falls, he will not be hurled down, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.”
He doesn’t just let us fall and not get up. He’s right beside us, holding our hand to lift us back up from the floor, dusting us off, and setting us back on the right path. I’m thankful He’s willing to forgive me for those sins that have me falling so that I may get back up again.
How about you, dear friends? Is anyone else grateful that we don’t have to fall down and stay down, no matter how ugly it looks? Praise God He never leaves us and holds our hand.
~Erin
Iron Porch 