by Cindy Walker Burton

Eleven years ago while residing in Florida, I suffered a life threatening fall, resulting in a traumatic brain injury. I have a permanent dent in my skull and permanent gratitude for the Lord for saving my life. I have permanent residual effects. I also have a permanent aversion to stiletto boots (which ultimately precipitated my traumatic fall on concrete stairs). But enough about permanents! Later on after my accident, upon regaining consciousness, the attending doctor said, “When you fell it could have killed you. You were lucky.” With all due respect: No, doctor! When I fell, I fell into the arms of God. It wasn’t luck; it was providence. Concrete was a formidable foe, but it couldn’t conquer the protection of God’s mighty everlasting arms. Micah 7:8 says, “…Though I have fallen, I will rise.” By the power of God’s grace and mercy, I was able to rise.

You too, can rise after a fall. It may not be a physical fall. Falling down can be mental, emotional, spiritual, or psychological, too. You can fall from grace or fall out of love. Pride comes before the fall. You can fall for something and suffer dire consequences. Ever fallen into the wrong crowd or for the wrong person? Did you fall into a situation that turned into devastation? We all fall ill occasionally. Falling is inevitable. Getting up is essential. God’s arms are infallible.

What should you do after a fall? First, realize God’s arms caught you. Second, get up. Third, bounce. Yes, bounce back because people who fall the hardest bounce back the highest. I don’t know who is responsible for that quote, but I’m responsible for this one: “What counts is your bounce after you’re trounced!”

Let’s bounce back to falling down. Sometimes when you fall down, there’s something “down there” you’re supposed to find. Down there in your heart, down in the valley of your soul. It could be forgiveness, hope, joy, or self worth. After my painful physical fall, I found a deeper, revitalized commitment in my Christian faith. Throughout all of my falls, I have found that God’s arms are everlasting and ever present.

Falls are similar to fires because they forge a more resilient, reinforced version of you. You are burnished and refurbished to glow. From the ashes of those fires, you will rise and shine. Jose Harris said, “Falling down is a part of life and getting up is living.” I sincerely hope that when you fall down in life, you will dust off the ashes, rise, and bounce higher. Fall into the everlasting arms.