Falling Forward

What’s your favorite season?

To clarify, I mean your favorite of the four seasons of the year that actually happen in some places.

Unlike Texas, which has Summer, Post-Summer, Winter, and Pre-Summer!

I love the temperatures of both Fall and Spring. And while I love the budding and greening of new life that comes in Spring, the accompanying wind and pollen probably gives a slight advantage to Fall for me.

There’s something about the array of color, the coolness of the mornings, the beginning of long-sleeve weather at the end of the brutality of summer’s heat.

I know that Fall means that eventually most of the leaves are going to fall off of the trees, but it’s ok because it means that the world is moving forward, shaking off that which has served its purpose and moving toward a time of renewal.

I had a fall of my own a few weeks ago.

I was walking on an unfamiliar street on my day of reflection that I take once every three months. There was no sidewalk, so I was walking next to the curb facing the oncoming traffic.

The street was in a neighborhood, so the traffic was minimal.

I was crossing a street when I noticed an oncoming car. Since that car had my primary attention, the ground under my feet did not.

Therefore, I did not notice the gutter that started at the corner. My left foot hit the slope of the gutter and slid right out from under me.

About five seconds later, the oncoming car pulled over to check on the white-bearded dude in the backpack who just wiped out in the street before their eyes.

These things never happen when I’m unobserved.

I managed to get up and let them know I was ok and not drunk. Once they drove away, I was able to assess the damage. Bruised elbow and knee and about eight inches of road rash on my outer shin.

Of course, my pride was bruised a bit.

Falling is so easy.

So, what do you do when you fall?

You get up and keep going forward, because falling while you’re moving forward means that you’re making progress.

I have never fallen while standing still.

I have never fallen backward while moving forward.

And no fall has ever been permanent.

This morning, I read a quote from Julian of Norwich, an English mystic who was born sometime around 1342 and died sometime around 1416. According to some scholars, she was the first English woman to ever publish a book (Divine Revelations of Love, 1393).

Here’s the quote:

“For our courteous Lord does not want his servants to despair over falling often or falling deeply. Our falling does not prevent him from loving us.”

That doesn’t mean that our fallings—whether things that happen to us or things that we choose, whether they be best described as failures or sins—don’t matter or are not serious.

What it means is that they should not lead us to despair.

Instead, they should lead us to fall into the loving embrace of our Father, who specializes in restoration.

If I’m going to fall, I want to be falling forward into the next season of His amazing purposes.

How about you?

Be amazing today, my friend.