I love the moments before dawn. As the morning light fights with darkness, you know who is going to win! It is a fight between hope and darkness that repeats, with hope always coming through in the light. The darkness never gives up, returning with the light moves on to be present somewhere else.
The way the process unfolds reminds me of a child learning to walk. The desire to be up on his feet is so strong that falling is never a deterrent. Kids fall, sitting in tears and a sense of resolve, only to try again and then again until they achieve some kind of victory. They can see that others can walk. They know intuitively that they can do this as well. Failures are simply bumps. They can hurt. They can be annoying. They can be many things. But they are not the reason that any child decides to not try.
There are moments where I find myself sitting on my backside. There is no question that it hurts. Whatever the reason, within my control or not, fair or unfair, the feeling is not nice. I hate losing. I dislike the thought that I have been push back. I am also motivated to try again. My determination starts in my conversation with God; “me? I plan on looking you full in the face. When I get up, I’ll see your full stature and live heaven on earth.” (Psalm 17.15)
Even as I write I am wondering how I help those around me see that we can do more than the past. We can walk. We can run. We can make a difference – to ourselves and for others. There are possibilities and opportunities. We may fail (land on our bums) again. That is never the point. The point is that we were born to try. We are opportunities, doors we can open and pass through. There are others willing to help. If we can hold hope’s hand, we can get up and step forward. It may seem impossible yet I know I can walk.
