Fall Back

We had all sorts of plans in place for the first week of school and the unofficial start to Fall. We had lined up the optimal childcare schedule for the youngest, negotiated rides to compensate for no busing, we even had masks organized by child and by day. Within 24 hours of the first week, all of those plans were down the toilet, including one mask literally, thanks to the three-year old, which meant I now also needed to plan to fix my toilet. I made it until Thursday morning when I threw myself what I thought was a well deserved pity party. We hadn’t even gotten through a full week back in fall and I already felt like I had used all of my fall back plans. Texting a friend with lots of hyperbolic memes and dramatic emojis describing my epic challenges, he wrote back, "Thank God you have so many backups in your life!"

He was using the phrase colloquially, but as I stared at his text and looked at the plumber’s business card I was about to call to fix my toilet, it struck me. Have I ever thanked God for the many fall backs I have in life? Whether it’s my family, my financial comfort, the supportive community in which I work, and most importantly my faith, do I feel the immense safety net that carries me through my life? The sturdiness of the net that hurts a little when I fall into it unexpectedly, is the same sturdiness that should give me more peace than I choose to realize most days. Who’s carrying you? Instead of thinking about the weight they are helping you carry, perhaps thank them and the Lord for their strength.