Getting Up After You Fall

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV). Someone once asked Paul Harvey to reveal the secret of his success. “I get up when I fall down,” said Harvey. There is a wonderful story about a girl who was born into a very poor family in a shack in the hills of Tennessee. She was the twentieth of twenty-two children, prematurely born and frail. Her survival was doubtful. When she was four years old she had double pneumonia and scarlet fever, a deadly combination that left her with a paralyzed and useless left leg. She had to wear an iron leg brace. Yet she was fortunate in having a mother who encouraged her. Her mother taught her that despite the brace and leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with her life. She taught her that all she needed to do was to have faith, persistence, courage and indomitable spirit. So at nine years of age, the little girl removed the leg brace, and she took the step the doctors told her she would never take normally. In four years, she developed a rhythmic stride, which was a medical wonder. Then this girl got the notion, the incredible notion, that she would like to be the world's greatest woman runner. At age 13, she entered a race. She came in last, a distant last at that. She entered every race in high school, and in every race she came in last. Everyone begged her quit! However, one day, she came in next to last. And then there came a day when she finally won a race. From then on, Wilma Rudolph won every race that she entered. Wilma went to Tennessee State University, where she met a coach named Ed Temple. Coach Temple saw the indomitable spirit of the girl, that she was a believer and that she had great natural talent. He trained her so well that she went to the Olympic Games. There she was pitted against the greatest woman runner of the day, a German girl named Jutta Heine. Nobody had ever beaten Jutta. But in the 100-meter dash, Wilma Rudolph won. She beat Jutta again in the 200-meters. Now Wilma had two Olimpic gold medals. Finally came the 400-meter relay. It would be Wilma against Jutta once again. The first two runners on Wilma's team made perfect handoffs with the baton. But when the third runner handed the baton to Wilma, she was so excited she dropped it, and Wilma saw Jutta taking off down the track. It was impossible that anybody could catch this fleet and nimble girl. But Wilma did just that! Wilma Rudolph had earned three Olympic gold medals. She did not know how to quit! Whatever disabilities or setbacks you may be facing, remember the promise of faithfulness from your heavenly Father. Don’t give up! If you have fallen, get up and try again!