Flickr Photo Credit: CCK_Mom
His stretching four-year-old frame climbs into his seat. Damp hands reach out to find mine. Shock sweeps passed as I realize I didn’t have to remind him today.
I don’t recall holding hands at the dinner table growing up. We prayed, but I don’t remember the hand holding. Not sure how we instigated it here, but I like it. The symbolism of joining together, praying in agreement. The removal of temptation to grab food before we’re done. Yes, I enjoy this moment each day.
Normally, my husband will pray first followed by my son if he feels so inclined. Not today. My son began before my hubby could even bow his head.
“Dear Jesus, thank You for this day. Thank You for this food.
Thank You that Dad made it home safely.
Please, Jesus, help me to not fall down so much on my bike.
I just want to ride…”
I open my left eye slightly and meet my husband doing the same. With one half glance I know. His heart is bursting, too. With pride in seeing our son pray so earnestly. With joy as we try not to laugh. With hurt as we hear how his preschool heart is troubled.
When he’s done praying, he lifts his head to reveal a full smile. And immediately starts eating his meal, fruit first. This mother-heart sees the burden being lifted right off his shoulders.
In my own prayer time later, I brought it up to my Father. Sharing the experience again with Him, asking for guidance on how to respond. He answered by bringing a verse I had memorized to mind:
The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked. Proverbs 24:16
We all trip, don’t we. Sometimes we fall down. Repeatedly. I’m learning that’s okay. It doesn’t mean we’ve failed. You see, God’s more concerned about how we react to the fall. For that reveals our heart.
When we trip and fall, all God asks is that we try again. And maybe on the 8th try, we’ll get better. Maybe not. We haven’t failed as long as we don’t give up. And some day I am certain we will be able to look back and see how far we’ve come.
Friend, you may feel like a failure right now, but let me assure you that is not at all true. Unless you’ve given up.
Remember:
We may get pressed, but we’re not crushed.
We may get knocked down, but we’re not knocked out.
The next time I am feeling discouraged from my shortcomings, I’m going to remember my helmet-clad boy. I’ll bring my troubled heart to God. I’ll thank Him for new mercies every day. And I’ll dust myself off and try again. Will you join me?
How about you, friend? Have you fallen down lately? How did you get back up again? I’d love to hear.
I am SO thankful for new mercies each day. That is what gives me the heart to dust myself off and try again.
Loved this post!
So grateful you shared, Jarralea. And am thrilled to hear you accept His grace each day. I can’t imagine doing this life gig without it…
May you delight in His love this week, Jarralea!
All for Him,
Nikki
just commented on fb.
I have to admit, I fall down the most in being too hard on myself…picking myself up from that a lot, it’s tiring…I used to touch my cross necklace, now broken, as a reminder to calm myself…
I struggle with the same issue, Michy. Being too hard on myself. I don’t know where I developed these expectations. I’m slowly trying to exchange them in for grace instead. What a comfort to have something tangible to cling to that reminds you of His love.
Thank you for sharing!
all for Him,
Nikki
….because of our little conversation here, a post came to mind on my cross…will be upcoming this month….
thank you…..
🙂 m
Nikki,
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t need this reminder. How I stumble and fall so often, and even now, this quiet June, God’s hoisting me back up, dusting me off and setting things right again. How thankful I am for His new mercies, for His tender forgiveness, always. Thank you for this, Nikki. Beautiful.
I must admit I used to think that was a bad thing, Kris. The fact that I always stumbled and ended back at square one. Slowly and surely, I’m learning to shift my focus off of me and keep it on Him. And I’m beginning to realize if I keep my gaze fixed, it’s a lot less painful when I do fall.
So glad you’re taking this time to commune with Him. Let Him pamper you, friend. He delights in caring for you.
Hugs to you, friend. Thank you so much for sharing with me today.
Oh friend, I stumbled and fall many times and all those times, I get up and try again with His help…so thankful for His mercies! Blesings friend!
You warm my heart, Charina! Thank you for sharing with me. What an example you are setting! Having His help makes all the difference in the world, doesn’t it.
Blessings to you as well, friend!
thank you for reminding us about our heavenly fathers expectations for us. He knows that we will fall often. Jesus never called us to be succesful, only obedient. The Lord knew Peter’s heart when Peter denied Jesus 3 times. By my holiness training, Peter should have failed to be never used again! but Jesus knows the heart, He knows if we love Him, He knows our character, our strenghts and weakness’s. Just as Jesus knew Peter’s true heart, even when Peter sinned so badly, Jesus still built His church on Peters character strenghts. So with us. If we love Him, we will try to be obedient to His call for our lifes, we will try to share His love with others, and we will extend forgiveness to those that have huet us, just as Jesus did to Peter, when he denied Jesus 3 times. Thank you Nikki for your insight.
So true. What an example He gives us with Peter. A part of me thinks his failure made him a better disciple after Jesus ascended. And to think…no disciple Jesus left was fully equipped when He died on the cross. They were finished in their spiritual growth, yet Jesus was ready to leave them in their state of development. It brings a strange comfort to this unfinished soul…
Thank you for taking the time to share with me! To God be the glory.
all for Him,
Nikki
Early on as a mother God taught me the lesson that we {parents} are not so very different from our children. He sees us the way we see our children. Which is why our children often show us, naturally, the heart of God. Thanks for sharing this story. I really like “5 for faith” but need get a reader account or drop yahoo email before I can join in.
Cheers,
Leah
What a brilliant lesson. So true. We are not so different from our children. None of us have fully arrived, have we.
So grateful you shared with me, Leah. Thank you!
May you delight in Him this weekend.
all for Him,
Nikki
oh, the big faith of your little one giving his burden up to God in prayer…such a gift…grateful for His mercy and grace when I confess my failure to Him, like just this afternoon…hugs to you, Nikki 🙂
We can learn so much from our children, can’t we. And your daughter can learn so much from you. Warms my heart to hear you brought your failures to Him, Dolly. Trusting you felt His warm embrace of encouragement to try again.
Hugs to you, friend!
My favorite time of the day is when my whole family is gathered around a table. And the kids’ prayers often surprise us in wonderful ways. What a delight it is to behold genuine child-like faith.
This is a beautiful post, Nikki. I just love it. What a sweet boy you have there. 🙂 “I just want to ride…”
It is quickly growing into my favorite time of day, too, Denise. I need to linger long on every prayer my boy makes. I have so much to learn from him!
Nikki,
Wow, I am so glad I caught this post! I just feel in the moment with you…at the table, in your thoughtful pondering, right there, feeling the joy and angst. Oh and I love the verse and yes, I fall down. Thank you for the reminder. How children bless us with lessons of the Fathers grace, truth and everlasting love!
Dawn,
I’m so grateful you stopped by and for your encouragement here. Thank you! Never have I seen His grace in such overwhelming magnitudes until I became a mother…what love!
All for Him with hugs for you,
Nikki
Nikki,
This was beautiful. Thank you for blessing me today! 🙂