Falling Down

At almost two-years-old, our daughter, Haleth, is already playing soccer. Okay, she’s kicking the ball, but she has quite a kick for her age. Last week she and I were outside passing the ball back and forth in a grassy area just down the street. On the way back, I decided to try some fancy footwork ahead of Haleth and Ginger on the sidewalk. As I did, I accidentally stepped on the ball and fell pretty hard onto the concrete.

Although a bit scuffed up, I was fine. But as I lay there, I turned to my left and noticed that my neighbor was outside watching me. The whole thing felt so absurd that I started laughing. Then my daughter said, “Dada fall down,” which only served to amplify the humor of the moment.

We’re almost halfway through Lent, and I want you to know that I take this season seriously. It’s a time to turn our hearts toward the Lord in repentance and fasting, allowing him to bring to our attention those areas in our life where our faltering might be stifling our relationship with him.

But not all faltering is like this. Sometimes it's just part of what it means to be human. Maybe we tried something new, and it flopped. Maybe we fudged on our Lenten fast. Or perhaps we made a mistake, and it caused a mess of things. In these cases (and others), I’d like to imagine God picking us up, dusting us off, and laughing with us at some of the absurdities in life.

Friends, God delights in us to the degree that he sent his Son to die on our behalf. With that in mind, be kind to yourself. And maybe take a few minutes to listen to this song with the same exhortation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYiM-sOC6nE

Fr. Darin+