As we put on our skates and got on the floor, it took a few minutes to get steady on our skates. But, like riding a bike, skating comes back to the memory pretty quickly. It wasn't long before we were all acting silly again and skating like we did when we were 12.
Several people were taking pictures so we could all have some memories of the birthday skate party. The birthday girl decided she'd squat-skate and go under her friend's legs. The first attempt was surprisingly successful. She decided to do it again. So while the friend was dancing away with her back to the birthday girl, I was on the floor, camera in hand, ready to take a fabulous picture of another successful attempt. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out so well that time. The birthday girl went under friend's legs about the time that the friend was amidst a leaning-backwards dance move. The birthday girl knocked her friend's skates right out from under her, and they both landed on the floor. I captured a picture that has left me laughing all weekend!
Isn't life like that? We're happily dancing along, and something sneaks up behind us and tries to knock our feet right out from under us. It could be any number of things: loss of a job, a diagnosis, a confession from a cheating spouse, an admission of addiction from a loved one...you pick the scenario. When our eyes haven't been on the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, we suddenly have a decision to make when the scenario hits us. Unlike the friend above, we don't automatically fall. We have to decide whether we're going to fall and blame God, or whether we're going to trust God and allow Him to give us peace.
When my scenario hit me, I made small decisions, one after another, that led to a great big fall. My first decision was to blame God and get angry with Him. I knew He had the power to fix my scenario, so when He didn't act like the magic genie I wanted Him to, I decided God didn't really love me.
Falls hurt. They almost always make a mark, a wound of some kind. Sometimes it takes a long time to heal. Sometimes the wounds leave scars. But, no matter how hard the fall, how deep the wound, the length of time for healing or how big and ugly the scar, God is ready to pick you up from the fall, heal your wounds, and turn your scar into a beautiful story of redemption.
The questions you must answer are: are you going to choose to fall? If so, how hard? Or, are you going to choose to trust that God is good, He loves you and has plans for you? Are you going to keep your eyes on Him, or take them off and allow life's scenarios to knock you off your feet? You always have a choice.
Great post Rebekah. It is true, when we fall we automatically place blame on someone else, usually God more than on the person the fall or blame actually lies with...ourselves.
ReplyDeleteJ and I learned an important lesson this summer when he lost his job. It was beyond our control and after the initial...ugh, we took a different look and used it for the better. Prayer works, and our fall is proof of that. He got a really amazing job and God has blessed us.
We had to learn the meaning of the word Patience but it was all worth it...
Thank you again for your post.