After all these years, I'm still falling for her

42nd wedding anniversary coming up next week. Back then, I was crazy for her, now I'm crazy because of her... actually not the case (the second part), but it is true that I still fall for her. I first fell for her when she was 16; the last time I fell for her was yesterday about 10 o'clock in the morning. Not as romantic a setting, indeed. Abbie was cleaning the porch by our entrance and asked me to take a heavy cement flower pot down to the terrace over the garage. In my care not to hurt my back, I carried the pot in such a way that about halfway down the first flight of concrete steps I lost my balance and in trying to regain it, I jammed the three middle toes of the left foot into the steps then bruised the sole of my right foot on the edge of the step as I tried to stop my fall. (I was barefoot.) Fortunately there was a landing about 4 steps away, where pot and Potter were lying when Abbie dashed to see where I had disappeared to. She had been watching me from the porch, and all of a sudden I dropped out of her line of sight.

I was on my knees with my hands and face up against the wall of the neighbor's house, which help shorten my distance of travel. One of my toes was throbbing and I was afraid to look because I was sure I had torn the toenail right off. Abbie was very sympathetic. I guess that's what she was; she said she was about to throw up, anyway.

I must have some royal ancestry...there's enough blue blood in me to color two toes, at least. Yesterday they were blue...today they're more a shade of royal purple. I don't think I broke them, and the nails are intact for the moment, but I haven't had the courage to put on closed shoes, yet. I went to the office this morning in sandals...but it's summer and everyone wears sandals in the summer, don't they?

Spiritual application: Three things were very evident in this mishap - 1) Falling is easy; it doesn't take any effort. 2) Falling is fast; it happens in a blink of an eye. 3) The consequences of a fall can be painful and lasting. In the Bible and in recent times, we have seen evidences of these three aspects in the spiritual lives and ministries of many people. May we pray daily for God to keep us from falling; it's too easy, fast, and damaging.



BRAEWYN

Here's the picture we have of Mother and Child (Rachel and Braewyn), so far. This was taken on July 26, a few hours after her arrival in the world. Still waiting on more (and better) pictures.




Still waiting on more (not necessarily better) grandkids, too. Joy's down to the last 6 weeks or so of her pregnancy, and there'll be a lot of pictures of little .....TBA.................., I'm sure. Joy and Mark can hardly wait.