“For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.” Job 34:21 NAS

When I was a child one of my favorite times of the religious calendar was the Lenten season. As a Catholic, ‘doing’ the stations of the cross was part of that seasonal ritual. Every Catholic school child is very familiar with the Passion of the Christ, (which is why I suspect the film so named years ago swept the world like a raging fire.) and is especially acquainted with the intimate aspects of His sufferings on our behalf. One part of Jesus’s journey while carrying the cross which caught my childlike attention, was His falling under the burden of that heavy cross. According to those stations, not once, not twice, but three times. And, each, and every time, He got up.

Seared into my child’s mind was the message: No matter how hard it gets, no matter how many times you stumble, no matter how many times you fail. Get. Back. Up.

In the midst of Christ’s suffering He was able to communicate a message of hope. Hope that no matter how great the burden of our lives, He would always, ALWAYS, get up, and keep carrying us. Always. And in that understanding, in Him, we find the grace and the hope to get up once again and keep on walking in the direction we believe He has guided us.

Years ago, I heard Arthur Blessitt, who had carried a cross literally the world over on foot say God told me to go. His command had nothing to do with my ability to get there, but in my willingness to obey. If I would simply obey, turn and fall in the direction I believed He had pointed me to, He would find me there, bless me. And stand me up again.

Over the years, Dan and I have had many opportunities to put this hopeful scripture from Job, and many others into practice. Every season, every new door of opportunity, every change and transition, always brings with it the chance that things might not go as to plan. That we might have the rug pulled from under us. That we might fall on our faces under the burden of the cross we are carrying.
But, this we know: That our lives are hidden with Christ, in God. And each and every time we fall…we fall forward. Toward the direction of the high calling that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. We fall forward. And the Christ of Calvary meets us there, and helps us to get up, to keep walking our road…with Him.

~ Debbie Ecker