We stumble. We fall. We get back up. Such is life. It is nice and glorious when we are soaring in the heights, when everything is running smoothly, and when our pathway is smooth and easy, but these seasons don’t last indefinitely.
Eventually, the days of darkness come around again, and then we will find out what we are really made of, where our true refuge is, and to what we will look to find strength.
As long as we see temptation as fatal and as a flaw in our character, we will find tough times even tougher to deal with. When we learn that the darkness and the difficulty is part and parcel of our covenant with God The Father, then we can relax and patiently wait for the sun to reappear and for the birds to start singing again.
So, we learn to move and breath with the rhythm of the universe. We come to understand our maker, and we develop compassion for one another. Ultimately, we learn to love ourselves better. For if we reject ourselves and despise our weakness, we will never be able to embrace others in their weakness, and we will never develop the broken and contrite hearts that The Father yearns to see in his beloved children.
So, let’s take our place at the table. Let’s open our hearts to The Father’s embrace. Let’s open our arms to the wounded and the weary. Let’s truly live the Christ life and not some artificially flavored imitation.
—Brad Heilhecker
Restored People Community 