Cars break down sometimes.
I remember one of the first times I went to an auto repair shop. As we often did, my sister and I accompanied my dad while he ran errands. But that day the car broke down. It was Friday afternoon, shortly after lunch I don’t know why it took so long to repair it. But for some reason, we waited all those hours in the repair shop. The afternoon was almost over and, when everything was fixed and we were able ride again, we realized the traffic at that busy time of day would mean we would get home very late.
We were used to welcoming the Sabbath as a family, with everyone bathed, and a clean and tidy house.
That Sabbath was very strange. It was dark and we were just getting home. But in the midst of that «strangeness» something permanent was fixed in my memory. My dad called us over to kneel beside his bed and pray together. Mom had everything ready, but we were still dirty.
Dad prayed asking for forgiveness for not having been prepared to welcome the Sabbath, and at the same time thanked God because we had returned and were doing well in spite of everything. He could have prayed that prayer individually, in a soft voice. But that day he taught me one of the most important lessons I treasure even to this day: we shouldn’t be afraid to humble ourselves before God and ask for forgiveness, even for things others may think are small.
As youth and role models for our younger siblings or people in our sphere of influence, when we make a mistake, or when we haven’t done something we should have so things would turn out better, let’s not be embarrassed to admit it.
I think that day there were things that went beyond our grasp and God knew that, but for some reason dad lifted that prayer up and gave us a great example in humility.
It is when we’re on our knees that we can then rise up.
As Christians, we will fall more than once. It’s important to admit it, trust, and rise up again.
If today you feel you’ve fallen 4,572,345 times in the past, kneel down and rise up once more.
