Slip Sliding Away

Psalm 37:24 – Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. (KJV)

While with our family and grandchildren one weekend, we decided to take the kids to an indoor playground which offered plenty of climbing, sliding, bridges, and a plastic ball area. The whole thing was set up to accommodate adults as well as children. Well, most of it was fit for adults. One tower was only for the very, very thin, and not equipped for two-way traffic.

The entrance to a huge, curling, encased green slide could be approached only by climbing up an open curling staircase, the footholds of which were triangular pieces of upholstered plastic.

Our young granddaughter wanted someone to go down with her, and as neither of her parents were prepared to go, I thought, Oh well, I should be able to do it! And so I offered to go. She alerted me that I might get scared, but on I ventured.

The curling stairs were a challenge. Some of them were so close together as to make me crouch and crawl up onto them. When I got to the top, hesitation set in, as the two kids ahead of me sped down pretty fast.

It didn't help that my granddaughter urged me to go ahead of her, and again told me I might get scared. But then, I thought, I'm heavier than the kids, so I'll probably go down a lot slower.

And so I began my descent. My size and weight didn't slow me down one bit, and the clothes I was wearing seemed to speed up the process. I thrust my bare arms out to help slow me down. Added to the swiftness with which I was propelled down the swirling slide, I was getting sparks from my magnetic bracelet as I passed each joint. I feared I would come flying out the bottom, on my bottom, past the mat and in front of everyone.

As it turned out, I was able to stop at the bottom and make a dignified exit. Coming after me, my granddaughter and I walked to our waiting family, and I vowed never to go in it again. It was much later that I felt a burning sensation on my arm and elbow, only to discover that I'd worn the skin right off them as I'd braced myself along the way.

Our spiritual journey can sometimes send us spiralling along, like we were on the slide. We delve into something we think we can handle, feeling barbs along the way, often coming out of it a little roughened up.

Isn't it wonderful to know that God is with us every step of the way, waiting for our return!

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for staying with us when we may stray, and being there for us when we return. Thank You that we may be assured of Your steadfast presence, especially in those times when we may seem to be spiralling out of control. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Forward this devotional     Share this devotional on Facebook     Like PresbyCan on Facebook