Falling Down

Today my daughter began her first lesson in Life.

I am sitting on the floor of my living room and my daughter is talking up a storm. I have no idea what she is saying but I know that it means a lot to her since her eyes betray the determination that she holds inside. She stops briefly, wobbles a little, and falls face first onto the floor. I catch my breath but resist the urge to pick her up....she must learn. Her little hands press down on the floor, her head slowly rises off the carpet, and her deep black eyes stare at me with curiosity.

Then she smiles. It's the most beautiful smile that I have ever seen and I give her a wink. She giggles. I laugh. She falls face first onto the floor again. I wait. She pushes herself up and we begin the routine again.

She falls and then picks herself up. She is learning about life and I get a first row seat.

Awesome.

There are two ways of looking at moments of uncertainty. We can embrace the fact that we have no idea what is going on or we can stress over the fact that tomorrow is hidden in the haze of today. There is always a fear that the next step we take is going to be the one which launches us into a terrifying free fall and we can only pray that there is a soft piece of carpet to cushion the fall. Will that next step be one of pure satisfaction or one of pure hell? Will we find peace or terror? Will we be happy or sent into a black hole of confusion? What will the decisions that we make today mean for our lives tomorrow?

Will God be there when we take that step? Will God be there when the bottom falls out? Will God be there when we fall?

It is easy to find God when we are successful. When all is right in the world it is very easy to make the connection between what is good and the work of God. When that prayer is answered and life seems to be moving along with ease and certainty....we have no problem putting God at the center of it. It is when we are faced with an uncertain future and when a good life becomes a confusing one....it is then that we wonder where God has gone.

The basic fact of decision making is that there is always the chance that the decision made will lead you down a road that you didn't necessarily want to take. There is always the possibility that you might fall and it might hurt. We can also make a choice that turns out to be great and our lives are turned into something that is so much better than we ever dreamed.

Either way....God will be there.

We are going to fall down. We are going to stand.

This is Life.

There is a reason that I won't pick my daughter up when she falls. She has to learn that one must push themselves back up and dust themselves off. She has to learn that giving up is not an option and when life knocks you down there is only one option available.......Get Up.

The key to the whole process is where I place myself when she does fall. The first thing that she sees when she lifts her head up off the floor is my face. I am always there and my words of encouragement resonate within her head. She studies my face to see if all is okay and when she sees that I am confident that she will recover.....she smiles.... for my confidence becomes her confidence.

Will you fall in Life?

Yes.

Will God be there?

Yes.....just look for the smiling face.