“When I was a younger man, I would have been
able to stop this.” That was what I was
thinking in that moment when the world went slow-mo and I was on the way to one
of the most ungraceful public sidewalk tumbles in the history of Wise County.
We were waiting for a table at a popular
restaurant and I decided to make a quick trip up the block to check something
out. “Trip” turned out to be the
operative word. There were only three or
four little steps to ascend, but I didn't lift my foot quite high enough to
clear the top one. I stumbled forward
and tried to get my legs back under me, but the old knees wouldn't support the
extra weight from visiting too many popular restaurants and I was soon flopping
on the sidewalk. Fortunately, I didn't face plant.
A few feet away, coming toward me from the
opposite direction, was a family headed for the same restaurant. I heard their
gasps of horror and/or amusement as the middle aged man in the Hawaiian shirt
did his tumbling routine and definitely did not stick the landing. (I’m pretty sure I won’t be ready for the
2016 Olympics). I heard someone say,
“Are you alright?” The next thing I knew there was a man standing over me in
his best umpire pose proclaiming that I was “Safe!” Finally, his wife complimented me on my form
as they headed on by to the restaurant.
I told them that I was happy to provide them with a floor show to
accompany their dinner.
When I got back to Mrs. Sweetie and our
friends who were waiting inside, I had to tell them the whole story. It helped them understand the giggling
patrons that had walked in just ahead of me.
I got a couple of bruises from my failed floor exercise, but I also got
a great story and even got to entertain an unsuspecting family out for an early
Saturday dinner.
I’m actually glad someone was there to see my
tumble. It would have been a shame to waste the opportunity to brighten someone
else’s day. Even at my expense.
Proverbs 11:2 says, “Pride leads to disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.” I’m not
sure that I gained any wisdom from this particular event, but I have had plenty
of other experiences that have taught me the wisdom of not taking myself too
seriously.
Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before
destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” It wasn't haughtiness, but
clumsiness, that caused this particular tumble.
The kind of tumbles caused by pride and haughtiness can have much more
devastating consequences. When we get to
the point of thinking that we are “all that”, we are treading into dangerous
territory.
Our lives matter so much to God that He
sometimes uses a tumble to get our lives back in balance.
Humble wisdom from Dr. Floppy.
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