I fell.
I knew it would happen as soon as I allowed the kids at church to break one of our rules –
Keep your shoes on your feet!
But it was Glow Night and I discovered that my white socks with tiny orange and green dots glowed under the black lights. How could I not take off my shoes?!? And if I had my shoes off, how could I make the kids keep on theirs? So, we all took off our shoes and marveled at our glowing feet!
Of course, as I was later navigating the room lit only by black lights and the glow from the TV screen, I tripped over a pair of shoes hidden by the darkness. (And that, folks, is why we don’t break the rules!)
Smack. I fell flat on my knees. I was fine – well, except for my pride. I ended up having to ask for help in getting back up, though. It was not a great moment for me but after being picked up and put back on my feet, I returned, with extreme caution, to the fun of Glow Night.
In my life, falling is inevitable no matter if the lights are on or off. Because of my muscle disorder, my balance isn’t the greatest. The slightest bump could make me fall and once I’m headed down, there’s really no stopping the descent. I’ve grown accustomed to banged up knees and a bruised hind end. What I can’t seem to get used to is my wounded pride. Knees heal fairly quickly. Pride takes a little longer. But I’ve learned to get back up and just move on. I fell. It’s happened before and it will surely happen again.
The reality is we all fall. The fall may not be physical but we all get pushed down by life at one time or another. Work, family, health, relationships can all push us to our tipping point and send us crashing down to the floor of life. It is inevitable. What really matters is what we do after the fall. Do we wallow in self-pity wondering why we are the ones who got knocked down? Or do we get back up, brush off our pride, learn from our situation and move on?
Yes, sometimes the fall can cause great damage. Sometimes we feel stuck at the bottom, alone and without hope of ever rising. But I’m here to tell you there’s always hope. It’s our wounded pride that keeps us from seeing that hope AND keeps us from asking for help. Getting back up can be difficult and may require assistance from others. That’s ok. Ask for help. Receive that help graciously. Then when you’re back on your feet, offer that same help to someone else who has fallen – they are all around us.
Falling is inevitable. But we weren’t meant to stay down. Get back up. Find your SMILE again. Then share that smile with others!
“We lose our way,
We get back up again
It’s never too late to get back up again,
One day you’re gonna shine again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever.”
Get Back Up, TobyMac
A Couple of Stars and a Happy Face 