Persevere

 

Falling.

In my last post, I mentioned that we have had an ice storm.

On the way to church last Sunday morning ...

I fell.

I fell hard.

 

Instantly, after stepping on a patch of ice in a McDonald's parking lot
After eating breakfast

I was found face down on the ground.

It would have been comical had it not hurt so badly.
I felt & must have looked like a pancake being flipped on one side.
(and you have my blessing to laugh!)

 

When I landed,

One hand held my Diet Coke, cushioning the fall on that left hand

I busted my chin

Cut my upper gums

Busted my right knee

Hit my right wrist and hand hard

My right side is sore.
There is a tiny, straw hole size bruise by my left eye ...
My cup's straw must have hit near my eye when falling.
Tore a hole in my favorite jeans.

But I have my eyesight, and I didn't lose any teeth - silver lining

Glory to God!

Thankfully, I had on boots, jeans, thick coat.

My husband reached out his hand to help me stand.

 

Tears to the car

Tears on the way to church

Tears slightly at church.

 

And our 5th grade Sunday school lesson was on

Jesus' birth.

Because of Christmas.

 

  

And the lesson brought sweet tears to my eyes

Because life can be hard

One minute we are fine

The next we are suffering
We are falling

There I was bleeding in church
Aren't we all bleeding in church?

 

And I praise our Jesus

Who lived and died for us ...

Who suffered for us ...

To give us eternal life.
We are so desperate for Him.

Most words associated with "fall" are negative.
Fall out
Fall away
Fall down
Fall captive
Fall from grace

Why do we fall away, per se, from Jesus?
We all receive that worldly invitation
And if we aren't on stable ground
Our feet will slip right out from under us.

Is it pride? Like Satan.
Or maybe we can't quite grasp that following Jesus means
Life or death
Maybe we don't take God seriously.
Maybe we don't take the consequences seriously.
Life's pain lassoes us by the ankles to drag us down

One certain thing
Falling hurts
Falling away from Jesus results in a
Bruising, battering, and splattering

And when one falls,

We usually drag others down.

How can we stand?
Reach out and take Jesus' hand.

How do we stand firm?
Stand up for Jesus.

How do we remain standing?
Stand for Jesus.
Fall in love with Jesus ... He is heart-capturing
Fall down on your knees before Jesus ... He is breath-taking
Fall captive to Jesus ... He is captivating

Standing for Jesus is
Our life's calling

Jesus took the fall that we might stand.

When life beckons us to fall
Follow Jesus

May we strive to be the strong one
Offering others a hand up.
When pain is severe and befalling
Don't sever ties.
Collapse into Jesus' arms that are calling
And persevere.

"To him who is able to keep you from falling
and to present you before his glorious presence
without fault and with great joy"
Jude 24

***
 

As a missions writer

I dedicate this post to

Malaysia.
God bless you, Malaysia.

God remembers you

I remember you

 Prayers for you.
Stand for Jesus.
Persevere.