Today on my run I took a tumble and tripped on a tree root that was on the path. It was quite a spectacular face plant and left me feeling winded on the ground.
As a lay face down in the dirt I was aware of cars slowing down as their occupants stared out their windows at me, the sting of gravel digging into my hands and the dirt on my face. It was great…NOT! But as I lay there I had to make some decisions. Stay where I was, get back up and limp home, or stand up, dust myself off and keep running. I chose the latter and decided to finish my run as usual, mentally making a note to watch my step more carefully in the future.
Tripping up is something most people will face at least once in their life. Attempt to do or be anything out of the ordinary, or to push yourself to your limits and you’ll more than likely stumble and bump yourself around a few times in the process.
However tripping up isn’t really the primary thing to focus upon or try to avoid; it’s what we decide to do when we find ourselves face down in the dirt that really matter. What will we do when it all looks too hard, when the excitement has died down and all we have left to draw upon is who we are as a person and God’s promises to us? What will we do when it hurts and we feel like we’ve been punched in the stomach and the wind’s been knocked out of us? When people don’t care or understand and we feel very alone?
Our decisions in those moments, when tripping up has become a very present reality, will be what determines the course of our life and how happy and fulfilled our journey will be.
Today I got back up from my trip and resumed my run without a second’s thought. It’s through practice and a lot of previous character building situations that I’ve got back up from that have built that reflex inside of me.
What do you do when you trip up? You take a breathe, regain your composure and pray and ask God for some help. Then look straight ahead as you get back up again and keep moving forward. And in the words of Martin Luther King Jr, “If you can’t run then walk and if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you’ve got to keep moving forward.”
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 37:14)
“But he answered me, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So I will celebrate my weaknesses, for when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me. So I’m not defeated by my weakness, but delighted! For when I feel my weakness and endure mistreatment—when I’m surrounded with troubles on every side and face persecution because of my love for Christ—I am made yet stronger. For my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-12 TPT)
Prayer: Lord please give me the strength to keep moving forward today. Giving up is not an option and neither is lying down in the dirt as life goes by. Thank you for your promise that I am never alone and that you will make a way for me. I just need to not give up. In Jesus name Amen.