I've always considered myself to have pretty good balance. I'm not a gymnast or anything. You would never catch me on a balance beam attempting those maneuvers for fear that I would lose the family jewels - if you know what I mean...I'm sure you do. But, I used to do all kinds of rock climbing and performed numerous stunts growing up and I rarely fell down.
That's what happens when you lose your balance. The laws of gravity take over and you tumble to the ground. Sometimes it's painful, sometimes it's embarrassing, and on occasion it could paralyze you or even kill you. Keeping our balance is an important thing.
The risk of falling often keeps us from going certain places or trying certain things. I've never learned how to do a back flip - even on a trampoline. I can do front flips all day long, but for some reason I can't trust myself to go backward - it is the fear of falling. Of course, none of us would be walking at all if we didn't overcome that fear at some point.
I was assisting an infant in walking around yesterday. He's at the point where he can balance himself and take a few steps on his own, but if he has a finger to hold onto he can get just about anywhere. He won't let go of that finger either...it provides his balance for the walk. Instinctively, he knows that if he lets go he will fall. Already he has a strong desire to walk...to explore...to experience, but he doesn't want to fall.
Balance is difficult. At times I'm so afraid of falling that I'm paralyzed, motionless, stuck. Then there are times that I take off running on a path full of potholes and it is all I can do to get up after the thirtieth or fortieth fall. It helps to have others to lean against when I start to get out of balance - of course they have to be stable or we're both going to eat dust. Like the time I took out a bunch of middle aged ladies after wiping out on my snowboard - we slid down the mountain a few hundred feet with a mouth full of snow. I apologized, but when you take a really bad wipeout sometimes you can't help knocking others down - you're not in control...it's a balance thing.
The reality is that we're all out of balance. That's why we have such difficulty with balance in this life. We get up, take a few steps and fall down. We grab onto others as we're going down - sometimes they keep us from falling and sometimes they go down with us. Thankfully, our Father knows our situation and reaches down with His Hand to offer us some help. The question is - will you keep wiping out trying to do it on your own under the illusion of control? Or will you reach out and take His Hand offering guidance and direction in your life? I've found that's my only hope for true balance in this world. Until next time - Blessings in Christ ~ RLS
P.S. The whole balance thing is why I haven't posted for a while - obviously I'm still learning to walk and have a long way to go...but I am trying.
That's what happens when you lose your balance. The laws of gravity take over and you tumble to the ground. Sometimes it's painful, sometimes it's embarrassing, and on occasion it could paralyze you or even kill you. Keeping our balance is an important thing.
The risk of falling often keeps us from going certain places or trying certain things. I've never learned how to do a back flip - even on a trampoline. I can do front flips all day long, but for some reason I can't trust myself to go backward - it is the fear of falling. Of course, none of us would be walking at all if we didn't overcome that fear at some point.
I was assisting an infant in walking around yesterday. He's at the point where he can balance himself and take a few steps on his own, but if he has a finger to hold onto he can get just about anywhere. He won't let go of that finger either...it provides his balance for the walk. Instinctively, he knows that if he lets go he will fall. Already he has a strong desire to walk...to explore...to experience, but he doesn't want to fall.
Balance is difficult. At times I'm so afraid of falling that I'm paralyzed, motionless, stuck. Then there are times that I take off running on a path full of potholes and it is all I can do to get up after the thirtieth or fortieth fall. It helps to have others to lean against when I start to get out of balance - of course they have to be stable or we're both going to eat dust. Like the time I took out a bunch of middle aged ladies after wiping out on my snowboard - we slid down the mountain a few hundred feet with a mouth full of snow. I apologized, but when you take a really bad wipeout sometimes you can't help knocking others down - you're not in control...it's a balance thing.
The reality is that we're all out of balance. That's why we have such difficulty with balance in this life. We get up, take a few steps and fall down. We grab onto others as we're going down - sometimes they keep us from falling and sometimes they go down with us. Thankfully, our Father knows our situation and reaches down with His Hand to offer us some help. The question is - will you keep wiping out trying to do it on your own under the illusion of control? Or will you reach out and take His Hand offering guidance and direction in your life? I've found that's my only hope for true balance in this world. Until next time - Blessings in Christ ~ RLS
P.S. The whole balance thing is why I haven't posted for a while - obviously I'm still learning to walk and have a long way to go...but I am trying.
3 comments:
Aloha Richard,
Very good thoughts here. I know what you mean. I struggle with this in my life. This made me think.
"Balance is difficult. At times I'm so afraid of falling that I'm paralyzed, motionless, stuck. Then there are times that I take off running on a path full of potholes and it is all I can do to get up after the thirtieth or fortieth fall."
So true, so true. Excellent post, Richard.
Thanks, Mike & Dave, these were just my reflections for the day. I'm still seeking out that balance...or rhythm, as Dave alludes to in his Screwtape Letters post.
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