My Unexpected Fall

“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world

that He (even) gave up His only begotten (unique) Son,

so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him

shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost)
 but have eternal (everlasting) life.”

John 3:16 (Amplified Bible)

One summer I went to Mexico with our Youth Group. It didn’t take me long at all to figure out that I wasn’t cut out for this kind of Ministry. I did not enjoy riding on the bus, sleeping in the bunks, nor building a house from ground up in one hundred degree plus weather. I did, however, learn something very important on that trip. It is something that I have never forgotten, and that is what I would like to share with you.

On the very first night that we were in Mexico, we all went to a very high hill top to pray. We were there to pray for the salvation of the people of that particular city that we were in. It was very dark, and as I was walking, I actually fell into a pretty deep ditch in the ground. All I can remember about the fall is that I was looking forward as I was walking, and I never even saw that ditch at all. Because of that, I never got the opportunity to “break” or prepare myself for that fall in any way. I can recall hitting my shin on the way down. I also remember that I was crying very hard to myself because it hurt so badly.

There I was, in the middle of a bunch of people that I didn’t know very well. I had been a bit uncomfortable to begin with, but now, on top of that, I was hurt and crying. Luckily for me, my Daughter was also on that trip, and she came and stayed beside me. I was so humiliated and embarrassed and I began to ask myself why I had even decided to go on that trip to begin with.

This was when I heard the Lord speak to my heart. I heard Him say that I was there because, just like me, the people of that city, those whom He loved, were walking along, oblivious of the fact that they were in for a big fall. They were not paying attention to His call to save them. They were walking along, doing their own thing, just as I had been. The only difference is that I could get up and recover from my fall. My fall was physical. Theirs was spiritual.

He spoke to me that this was the reason that we were here, to speak to all of those that He loved. He wanted to get their attention, through the message that He had given us to spread. The message was that He loved them, and that He had come to save them. If only He could get their attention, as He had unexpectedly gotten mine.

To this very day, I still have an indentation on my shin from that fall. What is far more important than that, though, is that I now have an impression on my heart. I have an impression that won’t go away. I pray that it will always be there, to remind me of why the Lord came. He came to seek and save those who were lost. That is why we are here, to spread the good news, to reach out to others that are lost and falling. We have been shown the way to salvation, and now we must share it with others.

Thank you, Lord, for showing us your heart

in a number of different and unique ways.

Thank you for reminding us of your purpose,

and for allowing us to have a part in the fulfilling of that purpose.

We pray that your will would be done, on earth, as it is in heaven,

and that not even one would perish.

To You, Lord Jesus, be the honor, the glory and the power, forever.

Amen.

By Beverley A Napier