"I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!"

Have you ever been up late at night and seen the television ads for those alert buttons? They typically show an elderly person who lives alone and takes a fall of some kind. Without the alert, they say, they'd have been laying there until someone found them. But, with the alert, they know emergency personnel will be contacted and they'll be found much sooner.

The "joke" of the commercials, especially when they first came out years ago was the little old lady laying there saying, "I've fallen and I can't get up!"

But, it's not so funny when you really think about it. Perhaps some of you have even had family members who have experienced one of these frightening falls ... and they were alone when it happened.

For some reason, this idea of falling and being alone is on my mind this morning.

I'm not necessarily thinking of physical falls, however. My mind is on the falls that we take that are more emotional and spiritual.

How many of us have experienced "falls" in our lives? Things like deaths in our families; health crises; job losses; relationship struggles; substance abuse ... the falls can sometimes seem endless and we might feel like we "can't get up" from them.

That's where the second part of the commercial kind of makes sense to me. Knowing there is someone out there who will care enough to check on me when I sound the "alert" means a lot. Knowing I have people on whom I can call is what gets me through the "falls" that happen in my life.

Who are the people you count on when you've fallen and can't get up? To whom do you sound the alert when life gets too overwhelming to handle on your own?

For me, my faith plays a big role in this. I first call on God to lift me up; next, I call on my immediate family and finally, I call on my church family. I know that there is someone who will always be there to help me get up and that they will walk with me until I'm in a more stable place.

I'm always sad when I hear about people who feel alone; they live alone and maybe their blood family has deserted them, for whatever reason. None of us should feel alone in this world. No matter who we are or where we've come from or where we're going, we should always know that there is someone or Someone who will care about us and for us.

Are you feeling lonely today? Have you "fallen" and you "can't get up?"

The first thing you need to do is what those people on the commercial do - reach out, push your alert button and let others come and help you.  Reaching out for help is NOT a sign of weakness. On the contrary, pretending you don't need help when you really do is a sign of pride...and will inevitably lead to more pain and frustration.

So, if you've fallen and feel like you can't get up, sound the alert then wait and see who shows up to help. Sometimes the people you think are the least likely to come might be the first ones to show up. Trust that God will provide someone to help you up and walk with you but first, you have to reach out and seek the help.

"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken.  We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, NLT)."

Don't have anyone to call ... then call on me. 815-355-2397 ... I'm just a phone call away.