Falling

Today a friend just reminded me how important it is to fall because it is in falling that we learn to pick ourselves up again. I know that she was talking about falling in a metaphorical sense or spiritual sense, but my mind immediately went to falling physically as well because I find that these physical examples often provide for me a visual of what falling really means.

I have literally fallen out of trees, whiped out on wet floors, slipped on plastic objects and fallen down the stairs... in writing that one sentence, I am feeling lucky that I am here to write about it. I know there have been times where people literally thought I wouldn't get back up, but I did. I have never been one to let circumstances hold me down, even painful ones.

Additionally, I have always found that it isn't so much about whether or not I fall, but about how I pick myself back up. Too soon, and I hurt everywhere, but too late, and I will never get up for fear of pain.

It has always been important to me that despite my falling at different times and places within the last four years, that I always master the issue that took me down.

In the case of the tree, I climbed that tree after I fell out of it. In the case of the stairs, I continually walk up and down them throughout my day. I don't know how one would master a wet floor, but if that was possible, I did.  Am I more cautious, yes, but I don't want to live in fear of pain. I don't want to walk through life avoiding areas that may be difficult or that have hurt me in the past. That's not what I am here to do.

I think the same is true emotionally, spiritually, and metaphorically. Just because we have fallen doesn't mean that we can completely avoid those areas that bring us pain or may cause us to stumble, should we be cautious, yes. Should we be aware of our shortcomings, yes, but fear them? No. Living life in fear of what may happen if we were to fall again, is not God's best for us.

I think God wants us to live a life full of His grace, and love, and in the knowledge that He will make the changes necessary in each and every one of us. We don't have to fear our shortcomings, rather be aware of them and hand them over to God so that He can make the necessary changes within us.

Ultimately, I have no control over whether or not I fall down again, but I can trust God to protect me. I can also be more aware of the reality that I am a bit clumsy and probably reckless in some ways, but I will continue to climb trees and glide across wet floors and run up and down stairs because that is what I do.