“My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep
sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to
thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not
stumble.” (Pr 3:21-23 AV)
Tripping is embarrassing. No
matter what caused it, our faces turn red when someone sees us missing a
step. Even if it seems to be purely by
accident or caused by what we consider an unforeseen hazard, we are red faced
at having lost our balance. What is
interesting about tripping is that it is almost always someone else or
something else that caused it. Hardly ever
is tripping considered a fault of one’s own.
But think about it. When it comes
to walking, we have all the time in the world to think it all the way
through. There should be absolutely no
reason to lose our footing. Even if, as
I sometimes am, at a loss for natural balance, we can use assistance. A cane or the arm of another, perhaps. In worse case scenarios, a wheel chair is an
option. Given the amount of time to plan
ahead, falling shouldn’t be something we normally do. If it does happen, there is usually a cause
of personal negligence which plays a part.
There are many times we blame someone or something else for our
mishap. A toy is left on the floor and we
blame a child for our accident. However,
if one has a child, they should reasonably assume all toys are not in their
proper place. Look before you step. If one falls on black ice, one could blame
the weather. However, prudence says if
the temperature has been below freezing, then expect slippery surfaces. Wear proper footwear and scoot across the
ground rather than take normal steps. A
few weeks ago, I almost fell down the stairs while carrying a full laundry basket. I had a new pair of glasses of which I had
not fully become accustomed. I knew
better. Taking my time and feeling for
the riser would have prevented what could have been a tragic accident. Even if someone stuck their foot out to
deliberately trip us up, slowing down and being aware of our surroundings can
prevent this. In short, we trip (for the
most part) because we lack wisdom. We
fall because of a lapse of judgment. This
is the idea of the verse above.
In a world that does not want to take responsibility for their circumstances,
we blame everything and everyone for our misfortune. We worship the god of fate as though he has it
out for us. Rarely do we get embarrassed
about our situation because we cannot see how our situation is one of our own
making. We fail to see that a lack of
forethought contributed to our dilemma.
We see that undisciplined child as the bane of our misfortune. He was irresponsible so it caused us to
fall. Partially true. But looking for a trip hazard would have
avoided the tragic sprained ankle. Even
with all my days in the woods, outside of a hole that was covered by leaves, or
some other such thing, I cannot think of a time I tripped or fell while
completely aware of my surroundings.
Even with the possibility of unseen holes, one learns to walk on exposed
ground. Whether we want to hear it or
not, we are partly, or fully, to blame for our falling. There may be extenuating circumstances and
the fault may partially lie with others or things out of our control, but the
truth of the matter is, we can predict and foresee hazards which lie
ahead. This truth applies to all areas
of life. Not just walking. We fail in life, partly, because we do not
use the wisdom available to us by the word of God. When we start taking ownership of our own
life and actions, then we can begin to reduce the impact of trip hazards along
life’s way. Rather than wait of OSHA to
mandate and enforce that life be safe so we can walk through it blindfolded
without getting hurt, let us use our own eyes and stop blaming everyone and
everything else for our lack of prudence.
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