Painful Stumble

Yesterday morning, I was helping my sister with some chores around her apartment and watched her lose her footing on the bottom step, taking a hard tumble to the ground. Having already experienced knee pains earlier in the week, Sis was obviously in pain as she suffered a blow to her knee.  As I watched her fall, everything seemed to happen in slow motion and I was completely helpless.  She was carrying a few things down the stairs;  if I tried to break her fall, I was afraid that I would either be taken down with her or cause her to hit her head on the metal railing.  Thankfully nothing appears to have been broken although she is extremely sore today and has abrasions on her knee and foot.

As I went through the rest of the day yesterday, I kept returning to her fall and her immediate response.  After the fall, my sister was extremely short-tempered with all of us who were trying to offer help.  She was focused on a singular issue:  nursing her wounds and putting the situation behind her.  (For the record, I don't think her reaction was any different from what mine probably would have been if I had been the one who fell.  If we're honest with ourselves, few of us handle painful situations with grace and dignity.)

For the past several weeks, I have been studying the book of James in my personal Bible study.  While I was focusing on my sister's reaction, I was reminded of James 3:2:  "We all stumble in many ways."  Falling is just as painful spiritually as it is physically.  Let's look at a few spiritual truths we can learn from the scene I witnessed yesterday.

• Falls are embarrassing.  No matter how little damage was done to our body, the fact that someone saw our stumble makes matters worse.  As people who strive to display grace and maturity, we feel like an idiot incapable of simply getting through the routines of life.  We don't think in the moment that everyone else has experienced similar situations;  we are focused solely on our humiliation. 
• Embarrassment leads to anger.  Those who witness our fall are rarely laughing at us -- especially when those who see it are members of the family of God.  As they attempt to minister healing and help to our pain, we push them away and lash out at them in anger.  Once again, our pride gets in the way of accepting the offer of help.  When my sister fell, it was important for her to stand on her own despite her pain;  many spiritually wounded men and women who have suffered a fall limp along in the hope that no one will truly see their pain or call attention to the problem.
• Falls result in wounds.  As much as we would like to deny it, our tumbles result in wounded spirits that need attention.  We would rather attempt to treat the problem privately rather than allowing others to see our affliction and offer support, assistance, and ministry.
• The pain continues beyond the stumble.  Each time we fall, there is pain.  While we often choose to get up, brush ourselves off, and walk on, too often we ignore the fact that the pain will not end until we apply a healing salve to the wounds.  It is when we stop, admit our pain, and allow the healing Balm of Gilead to be applied to our wounds that healing can truly begin.  Thankfully, healing for our spiritual wounds can be complete and we can be restored to full health again.

Are you hurting over a stumble in your own life?  Regardless of how long the pain has been present, there is healing for your wounds in Jesus' name.  Find comfort for your pain today in Him.

Kennith