"Fall"

I didn’t see it coming,

They hollered way too late,

I was working in the alley,

Of the barn and held a gate.

Dad was sortin’ cattle,

Unloaded just last night,

And some were wild and crazy,

Downright snorty, full of fight.

And one of those old Brangus,

Steers was on the prod,

Dad said let him pass on by,

I surely did, by gawd.

And we were gettin’ closer,

To having this bunch done,

When all of a black sudden,

From behind me at a run,

That Brangus steer was chargin’,

But I faced the other way,

And at just the last minute,

I heard somebody say,

“Watch out, Brad, he’s comin’,

He’ll run right over you,”

But time I understood it,

It was too late, it’s true.

He hit me and he hit the gate,

It felt just like a train,

Or some old awful accident,

A car crash in the rain.

I went a distance in the air,

I cannot say how long,

Felt like I soared up awhile,

Cut one flip, so wrong.

 Then gravity took over,

And so I flew back down,

Face planted in a pile of crap,

And later on I found,

Somehow no bones were broken,

Though I was bruised a lot,

And when it was I heard again,

A cussin’s what I got.

Seems I didn’t pay attention,

The way I was s’posed to,

I really should just cowboy up,

That’s what I tried to do.

But guess you’d say I wondered,

Where my attention went,

Guess I paid it somewhere else,

And all of it got spent.

But I find there a lesson,

When life blind-sides you down,

And you find yourself face-planted,

In manure on the ground.

There’s really only one thing,

Left for you to do,

Pray the Good Lord helps you,

And cowboy up, it’s true.

Don’t blame yourself, it happens,

To all eventually,

You don’t have that much attention,

To prevent it, don’t you see.

But get on up, keep goin’,

It’s not how hard you fall,

But how high you bounce up after,

The Lord helps one and all.

“The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down…” (Psalm 145:14, NIV)

When, not if, you fall, what then? The answer determines your future. I recall a strategic letter from my Uncle Roy, a prominent Baptist preacher, now in heaven. I had not heard from Uncle Roy in well over a year, but the words of his letter were unforgettable. “The great sin in life is not so much in falling down, but in refusing to get back up. Or staying down so long you swear down is up. And the woods are full of those kind of fools, in church and out. So, get up…”. I needed those words then and I need them now. It doesn’t matter so much what knocked you down or how much fault you bear in the wreck. What matters is what you do now. I encourage you to get up, ask for forgiveness and help, and then get going. Some would say “wait on the Lord.” Do that, too, but don’t let what’s happened paralyze you. While you’re waiting on the Lord, do something productive. Helping somebody doesn’t take much effort or creativity but might just be the best first exercise. The Lord will help you. He said He would and He always keeps His promises. Get up.

Lord, help us to get up and go when we fall, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Robert “Shoofly” Shufelt, used by permission. Thanks, and God bless you.