Lather, Rinse, Repeat

I've had a lot of different thoughts going through my brain lately.  This is pretty typical, actually.  The thing is, I have a longer-than-average drive to and from work Monday-Thursday (but I'm careful to say it's not the longest - I think Nick takes that prize!).  On those drives, sometimes I listen to the radio, sometimes I call and talk with someone, or sometimes I just drive in the quiet.  Earlier this week, I was listening to the radio and Untitled Hymn by Chris Rice came on the radio.  It took me back to days (college, I think?) when I loved Chris Rice.  It made me want to go find my CDs, put them on my computer, and listen all day long.

But here's the bigger thing that struck me.  There's a verse in the song that goes like this:

And like a newborn baby,

don't be afraid to crawl.

And remember when you walk

sometimes we fall.

So fall on Jesus.

Fall on Jesus.

Fall on Jesus and live.

 Having a crawling baby gave so much more weight to this verse than it ever has before.  I've watched
my son spend 6 weeks rocking on all fours before he figured out how to move both hands and feet to get forward motion.  I've seen him try to crawl and end up going backward.  I've seen him crawl forward and then faceplant on the ground because he's not quite strong enough.  And now, he's pulling himself up on his knees, sometimes on his feet.  He's pulling himself up in the crib and looking mighty proud of himself.  And then he falls.  Sometimes on his thick, cloth-diapered butt with a smile.  Sometimes backward and on his head before mom and dad can catch him.  And then the red-faced tears come.  And we pick him up.  Heart-breaking cries are usually easily abated by tickles and laughs.  And then, the most incredible thing is, he tries again.  Lather, rinse, and repeat.

I know that with time he'll become more steady.  And before I know it, he'll be climbing and walking.  He'll be running, riding a bike, and who knows what else.  But in the span of his life, he's spending a decent amount of time learning the ingredients to get there: crawling, standing, cruising, small steps, big steps, and lots of falls on the way.

I do this a lot in my faith.  I've been thinking as Lent is approaching (next week!) what I might do differently for the 40 days of the season.  40 days, nearly 6 weeks.  The same amount of time it took my son to move from rocking on fours to effectively crawling.  I feel this pressure to get it right inside me.  To do something that will really be meaningful this time, not something that I give up because I feel like I have to give up something, and then talk about it like a badge of honor for 40 days.

So, what will I give up?  I haven't decided yet.  I may not give up anything - I might add something in instead.  Or I might just keep on trying to get up, fall down, and then get back up again.  And know that when I fall down, my heavenly father will pick me up, dry my tears, and help me move on.

 Lather, rinse, and repeat, just like the shampoo bottle says.