My Fall

    As part of my daily, morning commute, I walk for an hour through a residential area of Brookline, part of Boston, Massachusetts. This December and January has been unusually cold and snowy and it has been a challenge to find pathways, that are free of ice and safe to walk on.
    One morning, after I had been walking for thirty minutes and was far from any bus or subway stop, I discovered that the sidewalk, on which I was walking, was completely covered by ice. As I cautiously and carefully picked my way along the sidewalk, I was praying, "Lord, please help me not to fall," remembering how dangerous a fall on the ice can be. No sooner were the words out of my mouth, when I slipped on the ice and fell forward, banging my right knee soundly and painfully on the walkway. I was embarrassed and in pain, but thankfully, only bruised. However, the more immediate wound was spiritual, as my thoughts immediately questioned why God had let me fall, when I had just been begging Him for help to keep me from falling!
    This particular question has no doubt been asked, not just by me, but many people. On this particular day, I decided to give God the question and trust Him with the answer. I can only say that the rest of that day, I saw some other, more important prayers answered very positively. I was thankful not to have suffered a more serious injury and to see how blessings can follow after trials.