Everybody has a next step
Psalm 37:23-24 (AMP) The steps of a good and righteous man are directed and established by the Lord, and He delights in his way and blesses his path. When he falls, he will not be hurled down, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand and sustains him.
Have you ever missed a step when walking down a staircase? This can result in a real catastrophe!
A couple of years ago my mother-in-law was leaving our house after celebrating Thanksgiving. She walked out the kitchen door and down the steps into the garage. Out of nowhere, we all heard her scream. Looking out into the garage – there she was lying on the concrete floor crying out in pain. Before making any attempts to assist her, we first needed to understand what had happened. She explained that she had missed the bottom step and fallen into the car that was parked in the garage. In an attempt to brace herself, she twisted her right leg and fell between the car and a cabinet against the wall.
One slight misstep had resulted in two breaks in her right lower leg. She was unable to get herself up; but notice that she didn’t just lay there; she cried out. Her cries were heard and answered as we all came running out of the house. My husband and his father worked together to carefully lift my mother-in-law up onto her feet. They hoisted her into the van and off to the emergency room she went.
In the four months following this accident, things were different from what any of us expected. Instead of getting caught up in the change, we all kept focused on one day at a time and the things we could do to help each other out. It was a time of slow change.
Neither my mother-in-law, nor any of us were in control of the healing she had to endure. She gave it her all. However, not even her physical therapist could rush progress. Through consistent, small steps (literally), my mother-in-law was eventually able to walk out of the rehab center and slowly return to all the activities she enjoys!
The consequence of a missed step resulted in taking many additional small steps in order to make a full recovery. Our Christian walk is not so different, sometimes we stumble and fall and have to take small steps to get our faith back on track.
Lord, help us to stay focused on the steps right in front of us. Help us to walk with our eyes fixed on You. Forgive us if we stumble, give us courage to cry out for help. Thank You for giving us the strength to pick each other up and encourage one another. Thank You for providing the patience and the endurance to continue walking towards You as we strengthen our faith muscles and run the race You have set out for us! Amen
