Stumbling: Station 3

I have to admit that at times, I am a walking disaster.  Tripping over this, stumbling over that, stumping my toe on my bedpost, which is immediately followed by words that if my grandmother were to hear, would cause her grab her chest and clutch her pearls.  Oh, then there's my favorite, falling while traveling up a flight of stairs.  My immediate response to falling regardless of when or where the incident takes place, is to immediately look around and hope that no one witnessed my temporary lapse of dignity and balance.  If I'm not in any major pain, I'll quickly get up, dust myself off and keep it moving. Sometimes, I'm okay, but there are times when hours later my body would be reminded that I indeed fell and I can't bounce back as easily as I did in my younger years. 

In Station # 3, Jesus falls for the first time with his cross.  Remember that Roman crucifixion was a public spectacle.  Jesus had a live studio audience.  There were no take twos, no do overs, this was it.  I would imagine that Jesus, hadn't eaten since he broke bread with his disciples the evening before.  It is now mid morning; he's hungry.  I'm quite sure that the sanhedrin council did not offer him a continental breakfast with fig juice.  What they did offer was the most inhuman treatment that anyone could endure, and through it all, Jesus maintained majestic dignity.  By this time, the weight of the crown of thorns is causing his temples to throb, he's kicking rocks along the way, he's famished, thirsty, far beyond fatigued, and in deep agony.  The only nourishment that he would have is the dust of the air.  Suddenly the weight of the cross becomes too much for him and he falls.  Depending on the nature of his fall he might have suffered abrasions or gotten splinters from his cross.  After his fall, Jesus did what we all do when we fall, he got up. 

Grammy award winning gospel artist Donnie McClurkin produced the award winning song "We fall down" in 2000.  The words to the song are simple. 
         "We fall down but we get up.  For a saint is just a sinner who fell down and got up."
Beloved as Jesus got up from his fall, let us be mindful that because he got up, so can we.  Each and every day we will fall in some capacity.  It's okay to fall down, but at some point you've got to get up.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus crucified, you fell so that we might get up renewed in your grace and glory.  As we fall along our life journey, keep us ever mindful that we will get back up again.  Help us to keep our eyes on the hills from where our help is to come.  Amen.

Faithfully,
Karr