When You Fall

Several years ago, my wife and I joined her sister and husband, two of our granddaughters, and a great niece for a week-long stay at a cabin near Charlottesville, Virginia. During that time, we visited the homes of three U.S. presidents—Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe.

At Monroe’s Ash Lawn-Highland home in Albemarle County, the tour guide shared many fascinating facts about our fifth president. Monroe served as ambassador to France during President George Washington’s administration. Unhappy with his handling of the French, Washington discharged Monroe from his position. A few years later, he served as ambassador to Great Britain in Thomas Jefferson’s administration. Jefferson grew unhappy with Monroe’s handling of the British and discharged him from office.

The guide paused after giving us this information. He looked at our granddaughters and great-niece and said, “Now, I have a question for you young Americans. This is an important life lesson. What do you do after you fall?”

The girls answered, “You get back up.”

The guide said, “Exactly. And that’s just what Monroe did. He got back up and went on to become our fifth president. In fact, at the end of his first term, he had no opposition. So, he ran unopposed and won a second term as president.”

Maybe you haven’t fallen, but you have been discouraged enough to quit. Before you do, let me tell you about my friend and mentor J. R. Mitchell. When he was a young pastor, he became quite discouraged. In deep trouble and feeling like he could not continue, he took a walk. Nobody who passed him sensed his pain or knew that he felt discouraged enough to quit the ministry.

Then something caught his attention in the window of a store, perhaps a pawn shop or a second-hand store. In that grimy window he saw discarded, filthy items, like pots and pans and tools. But in the middle of what seemed like a pile of junk, he spotted a picture. The glass and frame were dirty, yet he saw clouds in the sky of the picture. In one corner, a group of downcast women gathered. In another part of the scene, men bent, casting dice. In the background, three crosses stood atop a hill. Deep in his inner consciousness, my pastor friend heard a voice that said, “So you’re going to quit.” Not a voice of censure, but of understanding.

He marshaled his arguments and began to express them, not audibly, but to himself and to that voice he heard. That voice seemed to say, “Yes, I understand all of this, and I will help you through it.”

The fountains of his soul broke and something gave way within him. He threw his head back and said, “God, I will never quit.” He walked back to his church, determined to pursue the call God had given him. He saw the cross in the midst of all that ugliness. That gave him a perspective from which he never wavered. Throughout life, J. R. Mitchell suffered many disappointments and a few heartbreaks, but he never again expressed a desire to quit.

Whatever you’re going through, it’s always too soon to quit. Before you throw in the towel, take a few moments to pause and reflect on Jesus and what He has done for you. He is the One who has provided for your salvation. He is also the One who promised, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5 NIV®).

If you have fallen, get up. If you’re tempted to give up, think again. If you quit now, you’ll miss all God has in store for you. Get up, and with God’s help, press on.

Ron McClung and his wife, Carol, in their travels throughout the United States, have been privileged to visit a few presidential homes and museums. They have been inspired that, whether coming from wealth or poverty, these men overcame personal and professional obstacles to achieve greatness.