About a hundred years ago.... okay, not that long. About 54 years ago (that sounds way longer), my little sister fell up the stairs. That is how it is always described - one of those family stories that get told all the time. She was making a mad dash up the stairs with just her socks on her feet. Wooden stairway and her feet flew out from under her. She landed on her chin and cut it. Not a huge cut, but she had to have stitches. It was the first time anyone that I knew had to get sewn up.
According to the commercials for medical alert devices, senior citizens fall on a regular basis. Not that I consider myself anywhere close to senior citizen status, but the state of Ohio and most restaurants do. And I have fallen three times in the last five years. Once, we were having an ice storm and I was working in one building but had to go to another where my company also had offices. My feet slipped and down I went. It took four people to help me up and they walked me to the other building and wouldn't let go of me. No broken bones, just a twisted knee.
The second time was when Ronald darling and I were dancing at a ward dance. We were doing the Swing, and I had just a little bit too much momentum and down I went. Fortunately, I didn't take Ron down with me. And it only took three people to pick me up that time!
The third time, I was coming out of a storage room in the gym at work. There was a slope at the sill with no light behind me. I went straight down, hitting the floor - knees, trunk and head. I got up all by myself, with the help of a chair. I've been really grateful to have fallen, because nothing broke; it makes me think the old bod is not in as bad shape as it might be.
So, then there was Friday night. I fell up the stairs. I wasn't running, nothing broke and the bruises are colorful but not too bad. My face didn't even hit the porch. I felt a little (a lot) foolish and hoped no one saw it happen!
In my prayers Friday night, amongst other things, I thanked Heavenly Father for breaking my fall. And I had an "ah-ha" moment. He is always breaking my falls. I don't fall up or down every day, but every day I need to repent. Even on my best days, when I am practically perfect in every way, gluttony and sloth are right there. And on those days when I was not PPIEW, I did some really dumb stuff (details will NOT follow), but He always caught me before I fell too far. I am thankful that for spiritual falls we have the gift of repentance. I wish I didn't have to use it every day, but I do. Friday night I was thankful that he broke my physical fall and spiritual falls.
