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“Blessed be the Lord! For He has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.” Psalm 28:6 (ESV)

I remember the exact moment he took his first steps. We were ringing in the new year when my six month old bundle of joy (Chris) decided to venture across the room. My earth shattering scream of excitement sent him tumbling to the floor. Thankful for soft landings. No one expected him to walk so soon; after all, he never learned to crawl.  And because of Chris’ chunkiness, his journey to walking ended in lots of tumbles, bruises, bumps and trips to the Emergency Room. Those little legs weren’t ready, but Chris was determined. Simply putting one foot in front of the other, he gradually got stronger, braver and moved faster. Every little step really does matter even if we wobble.

Ever found yourself attempting to get back up – to recover after a fall? Perhaps it was a long journey away from God landing us in the pig pen with the prodigal.  Maybe it was a slow leak of character resulting in costly, unwise decisions. Could it be that a crisis reverted us back to lesser gods (alcohol, addiction, immorality, etc.) which never served us well?

Regardless of why or where we landed, releasing the comfort of staying down positions us to get stronger and braver. Easier said than done my sweet friend. Satan loves to whisper shame, failure, and regret when we can’t even find the strength to crawl. And if we entertain his voice, we will zero in on the tumble versus looking up for recovery.

Nothing sounds sweeter to our God than genuine words of confession and repentance. A broken spirit and sorrow-filled heart ushers us into the presence of our healing and restoring God (Psalm 51:17). He stands with open arms waiting for us to return and cover us with His loving kindness, mercy and grace.  And the best part, God doesn’t leave us to fight this battle alone. Just when we thought we couldn’t take another step, God strengthens our weary souls to keep moving forward. Empowered by His might, we transition from defeat to victory one step at a time.

For those who may be attempting recovery never forget

• God is patiently waiting for your return
• God’s love for you is non-negotiable
• God already knows where you’ve been
• God will never give up on you

For those who are watching, waiting and praying for one who has fallen:

• Praying God’s word lightens and transforms our agenda
• Resist shock when steps forward revert to steps backward
• Listen with an open, humble heart
• Recognize we all tumble along the way
• Exercise tough love bathed in prayer
• Never forget the significance of even wobbly steps

Despite our determination to recover and/or respond well, we all need God. Life gets messy, we get messy but God specializes in transforming our ugly into glorious beauty.

“Father, give us the courage to take intentional steps back to You. And if we’re the one waiting for those we love to run back in your arms, help us to lean into Your strength and never give up.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life