"Down but not Out"

When my soul is overwhelmed within me, I slip on my oldest pair of worn out boots and begin walking down the country lane of my home. At the end of the lane, the sandy, county road runs north and south. I usually turn left and head south approximately two miles before I ever reach the nearest paved road that leads to civilization. As I walk, I begin to cry, pray, and discuss the burdens of the day with Jesus; as if He doesn't already know what bothers me. Peaceful, serene moments alone with Jesus are found more easily in my walking boots. In the distance, I hear the cry of the mighty hawk, and I look up to see him flying so majestically in the warm, summer sky. I keep walking, peering up at the beautiful bird when suddenly, my boot gets caught on a limb in the road, and causes me to stumble. I fell flat on my back in the dirt. The fall knocked the breath out of my lungs and as I continue to lay in the road, I feel the burn down deep in my chest. I quickly begin to feel pain, and I just need a moment to recover. Wow! What a view from down here! Yes, Lord, maybe I really needed this fall today to make me realize what I'm missing. I could not have appreciated the true beauty of this sky if I had not been on my back in the road. Look at how the sunbeams streak across the sky with vibrant colors of pink and blue! Yes, Lord. I'm down but I'm not out. I see You, Lord. I feel You. I know this was You. I'm listening more intently now, Father. I can see more clearly than I could.... before the fall. I'm down...but I'm not out! --Kesha Parish