“He reached down from on high and took hold of me and drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delights in me.” Psalm 18:16-10
Yesterday I fell down in the snow. I slipped on ice and went flying through the air, landing on the side of my left hip. I landed hard and it jarred me. I’m fine now, but at that moment, it hurt something awful.
My first winter in Denver, four years ago, I fell three times. The next year, I fell once. Since I bought snow boots, I’ve never fallen. Until yesterday.
I hate falling. I feel embarrassed and klutzy. And it hurts.
Let me back up and tell you that during this last year of 2010, I lost 50 pounds. I’ve much more to lose, but this is a great start. Unfortunately, I fell off the “band wagon” during the last two weeks of December. I chose to celebrate with food, but I put no boundaries on it. What began with a little sugar here and there, ended with eating anything that wasn’t nailed down last weekend. Needless to say, I’ve now lost 40-something. :0)
My overeating was like falling down. Having no boundaries with my food caused my footing to be quite slippery and then I went flying through the air and landed on chocolate cake. And a coke. And some cookies. It hurt.
Yesterday when I fell, I was surprised because I had on my trusty snow boots. I was on the way to a friend’s house and when I got in the car, I felt the shock of hitting the cement. The phone rang and it was my friend Loretta. Of course, upon hearing her voice, I started crying. But not just about falling into snow, but also about falling from that wonderful place where I took care of myself. I bawled and said things like, “I just don’t like who I am right now, Loretta.”
Loretta, an angel in disguise I’m sure, said to me, “Well, maybe God made you fall down to get your attention.”
I cussed her out and hung up. :0)
Not really. We went on to talk about the process of getting back up. And that’s what is important here. We all fall down, be it in trying to discipline ourselves, or in trying to follow Christ or in trying to submit to our husbands or bosses. We fall. But if we allow Him, our wonderful God is there to extend a hand and pull us up.
This morning, I utilized a present I received at Christmas. I put on these things that wrap around your tennis shoes and give you cleats so when you walk, you don’t slip on the ice. The cleats grip the ground. At first I was skeptical, but then security came, and Scooby and I went hard, walking until both our tongues were hanging out.
I got up. He pulled me up. And He brought me out once again, into a “spacious place.” A place where I can once again live in freedom and make choices that honor Him and me.
He delights in you. I hope you know that. And if you’ve fallen down, look up. His hand is waiting.
