Rise Up! Lessons From Ezra On Walking With Your Head Held HighIsampula

I am a well-documented faller. 

Tripping over uneven pavement has left me sprawled out in front of stores, flat on my face at the park, and sporting scuffed knees and scraped-up hands. I have fallen off our stage at church, down the stairs at home, and simply walking on flat ground with no excuse for falling whatsoever. I am that big of a faller. 

So, it should be no surprise that following a dinner out with friends, I
took another tumble. Standing in front of the restaurant, the world’s most gigantic insect flew right by my face landing directly on the shoulder of our friend. 

My husband quickly waved his hand to scare off the bug, but it left behind a little secretion. Some insect excrement, if you will. Being the great friend that I am, I stepped over to rub the excretion off his leather jacket...with my bare hand. See, a great friend, I tell you. 

As I stepped back, my ankle twisted, and I was on my backside before I could even blink. 

A little embarrassed, I quickly jumped up and declared that I was fine. Totally fine. Totally and completely fine. 

The next day, I was inspecting myself in the mirror and was pretty impressed that I wasn’t covered in bruises. I mentioned to my husband, “I thought I would be so sore and bruised today. I must not have fallen very hard!” 

“Oh no, Babe. You fell really hard. I saw your thighs jiggle.” Dang. Rude. 

In life, we can sometimes find ourselves on our backside. Maybe we made a misstep or a bad decision. We might end up on our backends because of someone else’s poor decisions or choices. Either way, we all have moments in our lives when we need to rise up. 

As you dive into the life of Ezra, you will be encouraged to rise up! You are not held back by your past mistakes or present hurts. Not pressed down by your current heartbreak or a stagnant life. Make confidence your stance. Take courage! Chase your dreams and do your best to stay authentic, courageous, risky, and real. Fiercely overcome obstacles and disappointed dreams with your head held high. Choose to live in faith, not fear. Go do it! Embrace your calling. God chose and created you. He infused you with strength. You’re empowered to be who you are created to be. 

Rise Up. Take Courage. Go Do It.