A few months back, I thought to myself, "Caroline, remember when you used to Rollerblade around the parking lot as a child? Wouldn't it be fun to Rollerblade again? You should get some Rollerblades." To which I replied, "My, what a brilliant idea!" So I went out to buy Rollerblades. Upon finding them, I discovered that Rollerblades are extremely expensive things. So naturally, I called my mother and asked her to help me pay for them, to which my mother replied, "I will pay for half of your Rollerblades only if you also buy wrist guards." The very first time I tried out my new Rollerblades these same wrist guards ended up with some very painful looking scratches in their plastic covering. Note that these painful scratches were not on my wrists, but on the chunks of plastic my mother insisted that I wear on my wrists. Thanks, Mom. I eventually learned (with the help of Google) that the little square of rubber on the back of one boot is called a brake, and can theoretically be used for slowing down or stopping in times of peril.
Fast forward to the time when I live in California. My dear friend Julia and I went out for a leisurely exercise session in which I attempted Rollerblading for the first time since moving out here, and learned that I have never seen a hill before in my life. California has hills. Lots of hills. Big hills, little hills, long hills, short hills. I was on those skates for probably an hour; I spent probably fifty minutes of that hour yelling, "Julia, I am going to die!" There was no single spot of sidewalk that did not have some measure of incline. And while I spent the majority of my journey across those hills praying that all the cars in the city would be immobile, I did not die. In fact, I did not even procure any injuries. I learned to trust that tiny rubber brake, and the one time I fell I somehow managed to, as Julia put it, "fall gracefully."
I can't help but be captivated by that phrase. What does it mean to fall gracefully? James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." I believe that falling gracefully is a picture of the first step towards being "mature and complete." I know I am incomplete. I am not perfect, and nor do I suppose I will be any time soon. But in the meantime, I am learning. I am using my tiny rubber brake, I am falling in ways that don't hurt me. And I can't help but smile, consider it pure joy, that after my little "trials," my many falls, my careening out in front of bicycles shouting apologies while still not able to stop, my screams of terror as I realize this hill ends only in another sloping street, I am learning, I am growing, I am persevering. I am talking not only about Rollerblading but about life, about faith. I am not perfect, but I am falling gracefully, and I have a great God to pick me up.
Truly His,
Caroline
My human told me to tell you that she thinks rollerblading in California sounds frightfully dangerous and rather thrilling. I can only imagine the injuries I would procur in attempting to partake in such an activity. Ten rollerblades would probably cause instant immobilization, merely because I would never be able to stand up.
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