We all want to rise and stand
Those who fear to fly dream of walking
Everybody want motion, running
But with learning comes falling.
To fall is no fun; it says we are unable
Not ready, not enough, not yet.
The voices of our fall sound so foul
Speak so down on us we hate to fall
And in our hatred, we hide
And in hiding, miss the lessons:
At the foot of every fall, is a rising.

Food For Thought: We fear misfortunes because they steal from us and leave us less than we were before the encounter. We are attracted to people and events that add to who we are and to what we have. We fear everyone and everything that has the tendency to take from us, more so if they do that without our consent. We dread losses. Yet I have learned that life is not all about additions and gains. Life is about profits and losses. Life is like roses. If roses had no thorns, they will be like every other flower out there. In addition to the unique beauty of the flower, the thorns set roses apart. The thorns make roses rare and serve a purpose in protecting their delicate beauty from intruders. The worth and beauty of rose among flowers may not be the same without the thorns. If life was all about flowers, all about rising, we may never fully appreciate the beauty of ascension. It is the good and the bad that make life an adventure worth exploring. In fact, it is the falls that reveal how far we have risen, our vulnerabilities, the limitless possibilities not only where we are fallen but also where we stand to reach if we continue, persistent, refusing to give in to discouragement that results from failure. When we know that behind every fall is a rising, we will cease to fear falls and take them graciously in our strides.

Scripture: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. James 1: 2.

Prayer: Dear Lord, whenever I stumble or fall, open my eyes to see beyond the fall, the rising that makes it endurable, amen.