First… let me apologize for taking so long to post again. š Life has a funny way of getting loud, complicated, busy, emotional, and sometimes just plain life-ish. And before you know it, time has passed and you're looking at your blog like, “Dang… I really need to get back over here.”
So here I am. š¤
And honestly, maybe the time away makes this particular message even more appropriate.
Because this time of year, we hear the word fall everywhere. The leaves fall. The temperature falls. The days get shorter.
But I'm not talking about that kind of fall.
I'm talking about your fall.
The mistake.
The bad decision.
The relationship that broke you.
The trauma you never expected.
The opportunity you messed up.
The season where you weren't yourself.
The thing you did that you wish you could undo.
The thing somebody did to you that you didn't deserve.
The setback.
The disappointment.
The moment when you looked at your own life and thought, “How in the world did I get here?”
Yeah… that fall.
And if we're being honest, most of us have one.
Some of us have several. š©š
But Here's What I Want You to Remember:
There is a future after the fall.
Your fall may explain part of your story, but it doesn't have to become the title of your story.
The Bible says:
“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.”
— Proverbs 24:16
Notice what Scripture didn't say.
It didn't say the righteous person never falls.
It said they get back up.
That's important.
Because sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to never mess up that when we finally do, we don't just deal with the mistake—we start questioning our entire identity.
“I should've known better.”
“How could I let that happen?”
“God must be disappointed in me.”
“Maybe I've ruined everything.”
“Maybe I missed my chance.”
Maybe you haven't.
Maybe you're simply in the part of the story where you have to get back up.
A Fall Doesn't Cancel Your Future
Peter fell.
David fell.
Jonah ran.
Moses made mistakes.
Elijah became discouraged.
The prodigal son walked away.
Yet God wasn't finished with any of them.
That's one of the things I love about Scripture.
It doesn't give us a bunch of perfect people with spotless resumes.
It gives us people who messed up, got scared, ran, doubted, grieved, failed, repented, struggled, and still had a future with God.
Psalm 37:24 says:
“Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.”
There's something comforting about that.
It doesn't say “though he fall, God will pretend he didn't fall.”
It says though he fall.
God already knows falling is part of being human.
But being down doesn't mean being abandoned.
And being broken doesn't mean being useless.
And making a mistake doesn't mean your purpose disappeared.
Sometimes the Fall Changes You
Now, let's be real.
Getting back up doesn't always mean going back to who you were.
Sometimes the fall teaches you something.
Sometimes it exposes something.
Sometimes it makes you slow down.
Sometimes it changes what you tolerate.
Sometimes it changes who you trust.
Sometimes it changes what you value.
And sometimes… it changes you.
Isaiah 43:18–19 says:
“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing.”
A new thing.
Not necessarily a return to the old thing.
That's a word right there.
Because maybe your future isn't about getting your old life back.
Maybe your future is about discovering what God can do with the life you have now.
So What Comes After the Fall?
That's the question I want to leave with you.
Not:
“Why did I fall?”
Not:
“How could I have been so stupid?”
Not:
“Why did God let this happen?”
Those questions may have their place.
But eventually, there's another question we have to ask:
“What now?”
What do I do with what happened?
What can I learn?
What needs healing?
What needs to be released?
Who do I need to forgive?
Who do I need to apologize to?
What do I need to stop carrying?
What is God still calling me toward?
Because there is a difference between remembering your fall and living there.
You can acknowledge what happened without building your house there.
You can regret something without allowing regret to become your identity.
You can grieve what you lost and still believe there's something ahead.
You can admit you were wrong without believing you're worthless.
And you can be honest about your scars without believing your scars are the end of you.
There's Still More Story
Jeremiah 29:11 says:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
An expected end.
That reminds me that God sees beyond the chapter I'm currently standing in.
I may see the mess.
He sees the manuscript.
I may see the fall.
He sees the future.
I may see what I lost.
He can still see what remains.
And maybe that's where somebody reading this needs to breathe for a minute.
You fell.
Okay.
Now what?
Get up.
Take your time.
Heal what needs healing.
Own what needs owning.
Release what needs releasing.
Learn what needs learning.
And keep moving.
Because your fall may be part of your story… but it doesn't have to be the end of it.
There is still purpose.
There is still grace.
There is still life.
There is still something ahead.
There is a future after the fall. šš¤
š Let's Talk About It
What's something you once thought was the end of your story that eventually became the beginning of something new?
You don't have to share the details if you don't want to.
Just answer this:
What came after your fall?
My divorce was my Fall season. I literally thought my life was over but God had a way of letting me know it was just beginning. I'm not advocating divorce but if I can make it through it... ANYONE CAN :)
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