It must have hurt, and hurt significantly. I heard them talk on the phone about what had happened but it wasn’t until I saw what they described, that I really understood how significant their fall had been. You recognize what I mean, don’t you? It’s that palpable feeling inside each one of us, as we see the result of someone else misfortune, and remember a similar event that happened to us. For me, the skin on my lower back moves when I see the evidence of physical pain in another.
In that moment of recollection we relive our own pain and suffering. In a millisecond we relate and understand. Most times when we fall, we jump right back up and brush it off, maybe even nervously laughing as to deny it happened. It’s not so when you are laying there, hurt and bleeding and asking ourselves through the pain, how on earth did this happen?
It also can happen in our minds and hearts. We are going along through life and all is well. We continually answer the question, “How are you.” with great-fanfare that we are great! I wonder if it’s the same for us spiritually? I learned a long time ago that sin is part of all our lives. Oh right, I forgot, we should never use the word sin anymore. It’s not politically correct. I can hear my mother’s voice right now; ‘Call a spade a spade’. Don’t get me wrong, we all try hard to live our lives as Christ would have us live them. But the part of who we are in Adam continually shadows us. Like falling on the street and scraping our faces, any fall hurts. I once read something significant; Sin hurts and it hurts someone. It hurts, you, it hurts others and it hurts God. Interesting thought is it not? It has always reminded me of 1 Corinthians 10:12 “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!”
My friend thought the ground was solid and their footing was secure. But in an instant they went down. I wonder as we lie there in our pain that we don’t look up and see the Devil looking down on us, smiling and saying, “Gotcha.” I pray that, as we look up, we look into eyes of a Good Samaritan who has been there before. Then and only then can we join together and pick each other up, bandage our wounds and walking hand in hand together.
Something to think about.
Rob.