Not down for long

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. 

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Back in the day, Hasbro toy company introduced a simple little toy in the shape similar to an egg referred to as a "Weeble". There were firemen and doctor Weebles - dogs, cats, kids, and other barn animals - families and townsfolk alike. Small villages of these things could keep young children amused for hours. The whole 'draw' for these things was their marketing jingle - Weebles Wobble, but they don't fall down. Sure it would tilt from side to side, but it would 'right' itself rather quickly, making it quite easy for little hands to set up those townsfolk and barn critters. They were created with a very specific way of maintaining equilibrium - gravity causing it to return to an upright position without any real effort. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have such a center of equilibrium that we always came out 'righted' every time we started to fall?

The Lord saves the godly! He is their salvation and their refuge when trouble comes. Because they trust in him, he helps them and delivers them from the plots of evil men. (Psalm 37:39-40)

We actually do have the ability to be 'righted' before we fully fall, bringing us back to a place of internal equilibrium. We probably don't understand in much better than we understood those tiny toys of yesteryear, but it is there within us. The presence of God's Spirit in our lives makes it impossible for us to stay down long - he is that force that re-centers us and 'rights us' when we begin to fall. The thing is that we don't always have to understand something to trust how it will perform. I didn't understand the wobbly little play toys at first, but in time I came to understand they were created specifically to withstand the falls. I wonder if we might also have been created specifically to withstand the many trips and falls along the way in our own lives? After all, we were created with a void in our lives only capable of being filled with the Spirit of God! 

His presence doesn't assume we won't ever topple over - succumbing to some force that overtakes us at a moment in time. It does mean that we won't remain in that toppled state for long, though! We might 'wobble' a bit, but we don't have to stay down - his presence is there to help us be 'righted' in that upright position once again. Here is the lesson of the day - nothing needs to keep us down. God's presence within us gives us authority over every force pulling against us. The heavy base in the Weeble used gravity as a means to 'right' the toy. There is much more to God's Spirit than the ability to always help us be 'righted' when we are about to fall or have fallen already, though. His Spirit is there to actually help us recognize when the opposing forces are about to launch the attack that would like nothing more than to see us down for the count! Just sayin!