Tripping

During my morning walk I tripped over a uneven section of sidewalk. I fell and skinned up my knees, arms, and hands. This is the third time this has happened in recent weeks. Apparently I need to pick up my feet when I walk and not just shuffle them.

It didn’t feel too good. In fact it still hurts a bit. However, I didn’t sprain or break anything. My initial reaction was frustration at tripping again. Then I thought how fortunate I was that nothing serious happened. Even while I was still on the ground gathering my senses, I began to thank God that I wasn’t hurt more than I was.

Every day we all have things that trip us up. Unexpected things to do, bad drivers, illness, harsh words from others, and other unforeseen obstacles pop up and trip us. They can set the tone for our day if we let them. Our response to these obstacles constitute the first steps toward positive or negative consequences. We can begin to dig a deeper hole for ourselves or look up and see the beauty created for us.

After I fell, I continued my walk. I looked to the sky on my right and saw a beautiful orange and blue sunrise. It picked my spirits up to the point that I had to direct a passing pedestrian to look at the sunrise also. I said, “Don’t miss looking up and seeing the beautiful sunrise God has prepared for you.” To be honest, she did not seem impressed. There you have it, two different responses that set in motion the positive and negative outlooks on our day.

Jesus said that there is one stumbling block that we must all respond to. It is how we respond to him that determines how we will spend eternity. Peter puts it like this, “For it stands in Scripture: Behold I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, the stone who the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense. They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.”