Get Up!

Imagine a child playing outside on a playground. They take risks, try new things, laugh and shout. In the midst of it all, sometimes they fall. Do they just lie down, cry and complain...or do they get back up again. It reminds me of a line from one of my favorite songs.

We fall down, but we get up....because a saint is just a sinner who fell down...then got up.

Think of some of the most successful people that you know. Most, if not all of them has experienced a major setback in their life or career at one point or another. Imagine how the world would be different if they had not gotten back up again. Let's look at some examples...

Oprah Winfrey was knocked down by the pain of child molestation and incest.

Early in his career Sean Combs coordinated an event where people died.

Jennifer Hudson lost her Mother, brother and nephew to senseless violence.

Barack Obama's father was not present when he was growing up.

Jesus was crucified.

I'm not trying to depress you, and I'm sure that you can think of countless other examples, but my point is that if some of these influential people had chosen to stay down when they got knocked down, how different would the world be?

When we give in to pain, disappointment, financial hardship, abuse and the like...we are lying down. These things are all painful, but they have not killed us. So use them as a form of exercise. They exercise our heart, our minds and our will and only make us stronger.

So just like Oprah and Obama, get on up and turn your blunders into blessings. Use what you've come through as your testimony to help others who are going through the same thing.

If those prominent people don't do it for you, look to a child. They fall, and they may cry, but they get up, brush off the dirt and get right back up again to enjoy life to the fullest.

What has knocked you down? Don't just lay there...get up!