Wednesday, March 18, 2009

falling down and getting back up


Starting out on a walk at a park the other day, I noticed a child cross-country skiing up a small hill. Looking over a second later, I saw skis flailing in the air. I heard him calmly call, “Dad, Dad…Mom, Mom.” Making my way around the hill, I saw two adults some distance off. I figured the child must be okay. Going further, I saw him lying on the ground. His head faced down hill. He lay seemingly helpless like a turtle on its back. The boy’s skis continued to flail around, moving back and forth the in the air. “Dad, Dad…Mom, Mom” he called again. I chuckled at the sight before me.
And then, I started thinking. This is me: How often in my life do I cry out to God, “Dad, Dad…Mom, Mom…Help me. I’m stuck. I don’t know how to get up and get out of this situation.” Sometimes, I struggle with how to approach a ministry task in the church. Other times, I struggle with my own prayer and devotional life. The easy answer seems to be to sit and call to God, “Dad…Mom…Help me. I’m stuck.” I might even sit and mope for a while. Often in those moments, as I call out I feel like God isn’t responding. I feel that that boy lying seemingly helpless in a pile of snow.
Yet, in my better moments, I know that God is with me. The parents of that boy knew that he was fine, that he could probably get up on his own. With a little effort, with a little creative thinking, he would be able to get on his feet again. More often than not, I am able to deal with the struggles in my own life. With a little effort, with a little creative thinking, I will be able to get back on my feet again. God is with me, even if God doesn’t always intercede in the ways that I think God ought to. Sometimes, I just need to make an effort, to trust that God has gifted me and to get back up on my feet again.
How about you?
posted by Emmy

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