I've Fallen

I fell over the other day. Right to the floor.
My littlest one was telling me about a video she’d just seen. It was about a snake and a boy. Someone else asked me to get something from the kitchen, and I was thinking about the elusive paper. It had to be returned to school the next day, but I couldn’t remember whose class it was for or which pile I’d put it.
Thus, my brain and body were in overdrive, and I fell on the floor.
Lucky for me, I’m only five feet tall, so it wasn’t a long fall, but it’s a hard floor.
Oddly enough, the little one didn’t seem to notice my rapid and drastic change in posture.  She kept talking about this enthralling video about a snake and a boy. I tried to respond with interest, but in my mind, I was thinking,  Are you serious? Can you not see I have fallen, Child?
My husband, however, was concerned.
“What just happened?” he said.  “Are you okay?”
“I’m not sure,” I said.                   
Nothing shattered, nothing sprained.  That was good, and I was grateful.
Here’s what happened – way too much.
My brain was too engaged in the paper hunt. I was trying desperately to give my child the attention she needed; obviously, this video was very important to her. I needed to get into the kitchen, and frankly, I forgot to pick my foot up before heading in that direction. Rubber catches, you know, and in this case, my rubber sole caught on the flooring, and I went down.
Right in a pile on the floor. I’d fallen, and praise God, I could get up.
Now, this is a silly illustration of a serious lesson. Falling is no picnic. Trust me, I’m prone to it. I’ve fallen in many places and spaces; I’m not very coordinated. I take a quick inventory and get back up.
I have also fallen emotionally.
That’s a bit trickier.
Hearts and minds aren’t visibly fallen. Faces, with much effort and determination, appear on the ups. Arms and legs function just fine. But, the soul’s caught on life, and down it goes. So desperately, we want someone to notice, to offer a hand or ask, “Are you alright?”  
We want someone to care enough to listen.
If I’d slowed my mind and body in the kitchen that day, I wouldn’t have fallen over.  And, if we, collectively, with the help of our Good Father, slowed ourselves and committed to investing in one another’s lives, we would notice when our sister had fallen. When her soul caught and stuck. When she needed our help.
And, we could say, Are you alright?  Please, let me help.
Maybe she just needs to tell you about a cool video she saw that day. One about a snake and a boy.
So, you’d help her up, and you’d listen.
Verse:  
… let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak … (James 1:19)
Prayer:  Glorious God, thank You for gifting me with friends. Thank You for placing each one around me in different seasons of life and for shepherding me through these friends. Please slow me down, Lord. Help me see my friends’ needs and listen to their words. When they are stuck, help me see them. Grant me grace in my words, and Your love in my heart. In Jesus’, Amen.

Author:  Melissa Bronson

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