The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24
A few years ago, I took a tumble, landing on my elbow breaking off the end of it. The injury required surgery, immobilization in a cast, followed by physical therapy. I responded well and as the doctor discharged me, I asked him if there was anything else I needed to know.
“Rule number one — DO NOT fall,” he said. And that was the end of his advice.
As we age, balance tends to be an issue. One misstep and a serious mishap may occur. My mom fell getting out of bed and hit her head. The injury was so severe that she never left the hospital and was gone in less than a month. Mark’s mom had a similar experience last year and spent several weeks in rehab before returning to her apartment. Last week Dad called and he had fallen in his bathroom requiring a trip to the emergency room but thankfully only suffered cuts and bruises.
The consequences may be short-lived but it still throws our equilibrium off and tends to make us more cautious. Have you noticed how many older people use walkers these days? It gives them confidence on uneven surfaces.
But we’re not limited to stumbles in the physical realm. We can make a pretty big mess in our emotional and spiritual lives, too, treading into areas that are dangerous to our health and well being. How many times do we use an emotional crutch in a tense situation rather than facing it head on? We lie to avoid the pain of a truthful answer. We hide when someone is counting on us but we feel inadequate. We get angry to camouflage our insecurity.
God offers us a much better way to live. In fact, He wants to hear about our fears and frustrations so He can help us navigate the mine fields of our lives. Rather than clutching out after straws, catch hold of the hand of the One who will never let you fall.
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