I mentioned in my last blog entry that we celebrated Ava's birthday at our local Ice Skating rink.
My mom had taken her once before and Ava had been bitten by the ice skating bug. She caught on fast and loved it. Of course she wanted to go back and let me get a taste of the fun.
Roller skating was big fun for me growing up. But never have these feet dared to venture out onto ice wearing blades.
I was prepared to leave the ice skating rink with bruises on my rear end, elbows, and knees. So much for being optimistic. I was going in there ready....to fall.
We got in the rink and I immediately knew that I had under dressed for the occasion. Next time I will wear gloves and a jacket. (It is ice after all?!?)
The ice skates were not as awkward and cumbersome as I imagined they would be. I was able to walk without looking like a complete idiot. We all looked ridiculous trying to walk on blades. Who can possibly pull that off and still look cool?
We made our way out onto the ice and I knew immediately that I needed to stay near the wall. By near~ I mean that I wanted to be touching it at all times. Ava remembered her bravery from her past visit and ventured ahead of me. At any moment I could reach out and steady myself and I found deep satisfaction in doing so. After about 3 or 4 laps I began to get the feel of ice skating. I gradually moved more than 10 inches away from the wall. After a lap or so of staying close to the wall but not stuck to it....I graduated to the flow. No longer was I grasping for dear life to the wall....I was now out there with other people ice skating.
It was so much fun. I found myself smiling and ice skating at the same time.
But here was the kicker...I knew at any moment my feet could slip out from under me and I could fall. I knew better than to have any false sense of security on this ice. I was a newbie and newbies are gonna fall. Also everyone around me was falling or close to it. We were all clumsy people trying to learn. Falling was the norm. Oh sure there were the accomplished skaters in the middle doing their turns and spins and jumps. But most of us looked unsteady at best.
I was amazed at the number of near misses that I witnessed. People just like me would come barreling out of nowhere, flying at high speeds, their hands stretched out willing the wall to come to them. Then BOOM~ down they would go.
All of us~ even the one down on the ice~ would grin or laugh. We were all in this together. Next time it could be me.
Someone with steadier feet would reach down and give them a hand and help them up.
As I flowed with the others skaters I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me. It was odd timing....but He always has something to say if our spiritual ears are listening.
He simply said to my heart, "Look around this rink. What do you see?"
I just looked. I let my eyes linger on people for a few laps.
Then I realized what it was....everyone here either fell down or was afraid they were going to. So grace and space were given and offered by everyone in the place.
In spite of everyone's fear of falling the atmosphere was fun and light. No one got angry with the newbies. No one made fun of anyone else. There was equal respect on that ice. Even the advanced folks remembered their newbie days.
The ice was our common denominator. We were all on it. We were all trying our best to stay upright. We all were a quick slip from falling and busting our tails.
Then the Holy Spirit nudged again, "This is the way church should be. Grace and space. Everyone on equal footing....a slip away from falling."
Sometimes I am so saddened by the way we act at church. We act like falling isn't a normal part of living. It is. We aren't supposed to cover it up. We aren't supposed to stay on the ground. We are supposed to take the hand of help offered to us and get on with it. There are spins and jumps and turns to learn but getting there will be a journey of falls and bruises. No one should be surprised or embarrassed to fall.
There was such freedom in that Ice Forum.
I loved it.
Falling was normal. But getting up was too.
I pray that my own church would be a place of this kind of freedom. Newbies, intermediates, and advanced skaters all giving each other grace and space to live and be what God is calling them to be. When someone falls~ offer them a hand of help up on their feet again. Their pace won't be the same as your own. But smile as your go by....because your next turn could be the moment you slip and fall too.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
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