Have you ever had one of those days where you should have just stayed in bed? Where doing the right thing just wasn’t worth it? Well, I had one of those days a few weeks ago. My alarm went off at 5:00 a.m. I made myself get up, drink some coffee, and head off on my morning run. Running at 5:30 a.m. (or any time of day) might not be for you, but I love this time of day. I run on a main sidewalk that is illuminated with overhead street lights, so it’s not completely dark, just semi-dark. The stars are still out, and by the end of the run, I can see the beginnings of the sunrise. This particular morning I decided to extend my run since I was feeling especially good. Confident and feeling good, running in the semi-darkness…this is when I fell. 

My foot hit a break in the concrete, and I went flying. The next thing I knew I was lying on the ground with my head and hands throbbing, and I was covered in blood. Thankfully, a visit to the doctor showed that nothing was broken. I just had a badly bruised chin, and hands that would take several weeks to heal. The route that I was running is the same one that I run several times a week. I have done this for years, and this is the first time I have ever fallen. In fact, I just ran it this morning (about 7:00 a.m. when it was bright and sunny!). Today I was listening to the Bible while I ran, and I heard these verses: 

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” (John 11:9-10)

Well, isn’t that the truth? I have never fallen or stumbled while running in the light. But in the dark? That slight catch in the sidewalk got me. It wasn’t obvious in the darkness. Darkness obscures the obstacles. Light illuminates them. Even semi-darkness is dangerous. And why was I running in the semi-darkness instead of the light?  (My husband would say it’s because running kills brain cells!) 

I was running in the semi-darkness because I felt confident. I knew this route. I knew what I was doing, and I didn’t need the light. Spiritually, it is also possible to feel so confident in our walk that we leave the light behind. And that’s exactly when the probability of falling increases. We must walk continually with Jesus so that His light will make the obstacles clear. It only takes a second for a wrong step in the dark to cause a fall. His presence illuminates the dangers that can bring us down and end our run. 

But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

That morning I ended up covered in my own blood from my own mistakes and over-confidence. Walking with Jesus, we’re protected by His blood, and our walk is illuminated by His light. That sounds so much better than sitting on the side of the road by myself, covered in blood and throbbing in pain. 

While my fall didn’t end my running permanently, it did change my habits and make me more careful. I learned from my mistake, hopefully preventing more harmful falls in the future. In our Christian walk, a fall is not the end. As Micah 7:8 says, 

Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.

Just as I can continue physically running after an injurious fall, I can rise again spiritually by letting the Lord help me up. 

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.  Psalm 37:23-24

Now, I will say the past few weeks would have been easier for me if I had not fallen that day. Those hand injuries lasted for a while, making everything from washing my hands to washing my hair painful. However, long term, I’m better off physically for having daily exercise. So, I can’t let a fall stop all of my running. I just need to be more careful and run only when I have the light. 

Spiritually, we will stumble as well, and sometimes we will fall. However, we can always rise again, trusting God’s hand to lift us up. And, of course, we can minimize the chance of falling by walking with Him, listening to His words, and letting Him point out obstacles before we trip over them. 

 

Susan Ling is a wife, a mother of three teenagers, and a college math professor. She and her family worship with Eastern Shore church of Christ in Daphne, AL.