Though We May Stumble...

"for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity." Proverbs 24:16

This verse right here is proof that we are not perfect. It talks, in plain black and white, about the righteous man falling. And not just once or twice- but seven times. I can't say, to be honest, that this is particularly encouraging. Think about a "righteous" person. Do you think of a Pastor or an elder? maybe just a mentor, someone who has encouraged you in your faith. Now think that that person fails seven times- that's seven times that they fall away from God for a bit. That's kind of scary to me. But then you read on in this verse and look what it says next- "he rises again". That righteous man doesn't fall for forever, he gets back up time and time again. Each time, a little stronger than the last time. Because we have faith in God and have the love of Christ in our hearts, though we may fall time and time again, we will always be able to get back up. Those who do not know our God are not so lucky. They can be completely brought down by trouble and hard times, and without the love of Christ to pick them back up, they stay down.

It seems like every day I am reminded of the Grace of God. My children are the perfect example. They can be having the worst day, where they're tired or cranky, or they're just angry all day and want nothing to do with what Mom or Dad tells them. But then bedtime comes along, and while they may fight the process, eventually they end up in bed. And then grace enters the room. And no matter how miserable the day has been, there is always a smile for Mommy. And a hug, and an "I love you." Always. It could be the worst day on the planet, and it always ends with that smile. That is the perfect example of Grace to me. Grace loves us no matter what. Grace will always be there to lend us a hand and help us back on the right path, and grace will always be waiting for us on the other side of the stumble. We will never be turned away or shoved back. We will always be welcomed with open arms, a hug, and an "I love you."