When Life Knocks You Down
Oct 16, 2019BAM! I was six years old and knocked to the ground without much warning. I lay there, knowing what happened, yet wondering what in the world just happened.
One beautiful summer day, I was at my brother’s baseball game watching from the stands with my friend when we spotted the merry-go-round in the distance. “Do you want to go play?” she asked. “Yes! But I need to ask my dad first…”
As an assistant coach, he was sitting with the team over on the bench. On the way to see him, I was unexpectedly hit in the face with a baseball bat by a boy who had been warming up. Instantly my dad ran over, scooped me up, and took me to get ice. I was bleeding and something was obviously wrong, so he rushed me to the emergency room where we learned that my jaw had been broken.
Have you ever been cruising merrily along in life when something out of nowhere just knocks you to the ground? And you’re left lying there, knowing what happened, yet wondering what in the world just happened. Maybe a death, a diagnosis, an unexpected loss, infidelity, or a damaged relationship.
Whatever it is, there’s no going back, and you may no longer be the same.
Once past the initial shock, you begin to absorb the reality of the pain, devastation, grief, loss, insecurity, anger, betrayal, and brokenness. You feel things you didn’t even know you could feel. And somewhere in there, you may not feel anything at all. Numb. Just plain numb.
You’ve been left to face all the ugly feelings and consequences, and it isn’t quite fair. You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t want this. Yet, here it is - handed to you as you lay on the ground, with expectations of carrying it as you get up, broken and bruised from the blow.
Hopefully, like I did, you have someone there to lift you up. Someone to hold you and get you an ice pack. Someone to support you when you really can’t support yourself. Someone to carry you to others who can help further. Oh, how we need one another! We need family. We need friends. We need mentors. People who will love us, pray with us, and point us to Jesus.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up...” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
One surgery later, my broken jaw was wired shut for two weeks and I couldn’t eat solid foods. My smile was different for awhile, and I now have a forever click in my jaw, but thankfully I healed well overall.
You, too, may undergo surgery. You may be damaged for a while. Your road to recovery may not be easy. Your smile may look different for a time. And you might even have a faint clicking of a reminder that you were once broken. But praise be to God that you will heal because you are meant to do just that.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3
“Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up." Psalm 71:20
Shannon is a proclaimed introvert, married to her adventurous hubby, Eric. She is a stay-at-home-schooling mama to three amazing children, ages 1, 4 and 5. Growing up in Indiana, she has a love for the outdoors and all things gardening. She's inspired through writing and art, but she's really in her element while working with little ones. She's also passionate about serving others and is currently a part of Team MORE.
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