HELP! I HAVE FALLEN!
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
Do you remember the television commercial for a home monitoring device to summon help in the event of a fall? In the ad, an elderly woman had fallen. She summoned help by pressing a button on the pendant she wore around her neck. In seconds, she is surrounded by paramedics, family, and neighbors. Our family knows from experience those devices do work. We had one for my Dad during his declining years.
Right up front I confess this message comes from personal experience. One of my strokes resulted in an ankle that turns in from time to time, resulting in a fall. I have fallen at home. I have fallen in New York’s Time Square. I have fallen in Penn Station. I have fallen in the post office. I have fallen in hotel lobbies in Nashville and Virginia Beach. I have fallen so many times that my doctor tells me the cane is mandatory, before I suffer a major fall injury.
There is nothing more humiliating than lying face down in a public area, and having people running to help. The noise my large frame made hitting the floor brings more help than any button I could have pushed. One thing is for certain when I fall, if Charlyne is anywhere around, she will be the first person at my side, coordinating getting me up and checking for injuries.
On the Saturday before Memorial Day I fell while putting up our flag, so I was going slow and hurting before Saturday night’s incident. Ryan, our little grandson was at our home for a weekend sleep-over. He also had an issue to discuss with me. Ryan wanted to know why his sister and his cousins were on Stop Divorce Radio, but he was not. Ryan volunteered that he had memorized Psalm 23 and could recite that for the radio.
What Grandpa could refuse a request like that the night before Father’s Day? Soon Ryan and I were headed for the small sound room we have at home so he could recite Psalm 23 for the radio. Ryan was standing between the chair and the counter, ready to become a recording artist. As I entered the door, I forgot that our scales were there. I went flying, pinning Ryan between the chair, the control board and the wall. I ended up on the floor with me smothering my little buddy.
“Grandma,†came the feeble cry, from underneath the overturned chair. “Come quick. We need help now!†I was fearful that my little buddy had been crushed like a bug. Once again, Charlyne responded instantly and sorted everything out. Thankfully Ryan was not injured. Later we joked that if we had a video of what happened, we could make a lot of money.
May I ask you a question? When the prodigal for whom you are praying is sent home by God, how many times will you allow them to fall?
We received an email from a woman who had stood firm for many years. Her husband was back in the house. She described her circumstances, and asked, “What is going on here?†Missing from her message were words she once used, such as, “Jesus... victory... stand firm... forgive... faith... hope.†Also missing were any references to scripture or time alone with the Lord. Dear stander, Satan will never give up on your family. He is still trying to get your marriage, and you can't even recognize it.
Many years ago, following my discharge from rehab after one of my strokes, Charlyne was working all day and then caring for me at night. Whenever I needed to go down the hall during the night, I would have to awaken Charlyne. She would turn on her light, get up, position my walker, and then stand by while I slowly moved ten feet down the hallway. After the return trip, she would tuck me in bed, turn out her light, and fall asleep again, only to have me awaken her again, for the same reason, in a few hours.
During the wee hours of one of those early days, I decided that I was well enough to make that trip alone. Charlyne was exhausted, so accidentally awakening her would not be a problem. I managed to sit on the edge of the bed, get my balance (as best I could) lean out and reach my walker. Slowly I stood up and began to move, making my way all the way to my destination. When I started back to bed, I lost my balance, and ended up waking Charlyne by calling out to her from the bathroom floor.
She saw me lying there, headed for the phone, called the Rehab Unit, and asked, “What is going on here? He came home, but fell again. He's on the bathroom floor. No one told me that it would be this way. I thought he was healed. If this is the way that it’s going to be with him getting up, only to fall again, I don't want him. You can have him.â€
That wasn’t exactly her response. First, she made sure that I was not injured. She offered to call 911 or our sons, but together we decided how I could get up. Charlyne prayed and I managed to scoot myself into the hallway. She positioned a chair in front of me. After 45 minutes I was back in bed. The only damage was a bruised ego.
What will be your response when you awake to find your returned prodigal on the floor once again? I can assure you that it is very difficult to learn to walk again, both after a stroke and after a separation. Even with God's help, in our humanness the victims of both stumble around a bit. Even if we do stumble, we are still home. Your response to a stumbling spouse must be the same as Charlyne’s response when she found me on the floor at 2:00 a.m. She prayed for me. A comment that, “You will never change†must delight the enemy trying to destroy your family.
What will be your reaction if the one you love comes home, and then falls again?
Our example is found in Jesus Christ. How many times have you or I fallen from what God wants? How many times has He picked us up, dusted us off, and pointed us in the right direction once again?
Your returned prodigal will need to grow strong in the spiritual incubator of God’s love and forgiveness, right in your home. That will not happen when you, as a stander, start complaining and making threats every time your beloved stumbles. This is not a license to sin, but allowing your mate the opportunity to grow strong in the Lord, right under your prayers of protection.
May I ask you a second question? Have you, as a stander, fallen and can't get up? Are you tempted to give up because you can’t get up? Regardless of what you have done, regardless of the mistakes you have made, Jesus is standing there today, saying, “Let’s get you up. You can make it.†On this Tuesday, may you allow Jesus to get you “standing firm†once again.
You have a prodigal spouse, headed for Hell, who needs your prayers. I am praying that you will make today a new day, in your quest to handle your marriage problems God's way.
I know from being there, it is a long way up from the floor of the pig pen of life, but it doesn't seem as far when we can see our covenant spouse and Jesus, standing there to help us up, once we prodigals reach out to them.
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord's wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness. Micah 7:7-9
Because He lives,
Bob Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
Do you remember the television commercial for a home monitoring device to summon help in the event of a fall? In the ad, an elderly woman had fallen. She summoned help by pressing a button on the pendant she wore around her neck. In seconds, she is surrounded by paramedics, family, and neighbors. Our family knows from experience those devices do work. We had one for my Dad during his declining years.
Right up front I confess this message comes from personal experience. One of my strokes resulted in an ankle that turns in from time to time, resulting in a fall. I have fallen at home. I have fallen in New York’s Time Square. I have fallen in Penn Station. I have fallen in the post office. I have fallen in hotel lobbies in Nashville and Virginia Beach. I have fallen so many times that my doctor tells me the cane is mandatory, before I suffer a major fall injury.
There is nothing more humiliating than lying face down in a public area, and having people running to help. The noise my large frame made hitting the floor brings more help than any button I could have pushed. One thing is for certain when I fall, if Charlyne is anywhere around, she will be the first person at my side, coordinating getting me up and checking for injuries.
On the Saturday before Memorial Day I fell while putting up our flag, so I was going slow and hurting before Saturday night’s incident. Ryan, our little grandson was at our home for a weekend sleep-over. He also had an issue to discuss with me. Ryan wanted to know why his sister and his cousins were on Stop Divorce Radio, but he was not. Ryan volunteered that he had memorized Psalm 23 and could recite that for the radio.
What Grandpa could refuse a request like that the night before Father’s Day? Soon Ryan and I were headed for the small sound room we have at home so he could recite Psalm 23 for the radio. Ryan was standing between the chair and the counter, ready to become a recording artist. As I entered the door, I forgot that our scales were there. I went flying, pinning Ryan between the chair, the control board and the wall. I ended up on the floor with me smothering my little buddy.
“Grandma,†came the feeble cry, from underneath the overturned chair. “Come quick. We need help now!†I was fearful that my little buddy had been crushed like a bug. Once again, Charlyne responded instantly and sorted everything out. Thankfully Ryan was not injured. Later we joked that if we had a video of what happened, we could make a lot of money.
May I ask you a question? When the prodigal for whom you are praying is sent home by God, how many times will you allow them to fall?
We received an email from a woman who had stood firm for many years. Her husband was back in the house. She described her circumstances, and asked, “What is going on here?†Missing from her message were words she once used, such as, “Jesus... victory... stand firm... forgive... faith... hope.†Also missing were any references to scripture or time alone with the Lord. Dear stander, Satan will never give up on your family. He is still trying to get your marriage, and you can't even recognize it.
Many years ago, following my discharge from rehab after one of my strokes, Charlyne was working all day and then caring for me at night. Whenever I needed to go down the hall during the night, I would have to awaken Charlyne. She would turn on her light, get up, position my walker, and then stand by while I slowly moved ten feet down the hallway. After the return trip, she would tuck me in bed, turn out her light, and fall asleep again, only to have me awaken her again, for the same reason, in a few hours.
During the wee hours of one of those early days, I decided that I was well enough to make that trip alone. Charlyne was exhausted, so accidentally awakening her would not be a problem. I managed to sit on the edge of the bed, get my balance (as best I could) lean out and reach my walker. Slowly I stood up and began to move, making my way all the way to my destination. When I started back to bed, I lost my balance, and ended up waking Charlyne by calling out to her from the bathroom floor.
She saw me lying there, headed for the phone, called the Rehab Unit, and asked, “What is going on here? He came home, but fell again. He's on the bathroom floor. No one told me that it would be this way. I thought he was healed. If this is the way that it’s going to be with him getting up, only to fall again, I don't want him. You can have him.â€
That wasn’t exactly her response. First, she made sure that I was not injured. She offered to call 911 or our sons, but together we decided how I could get up. Charlyne prayed and I managed to scoot myself into the hallway. She positioned a chair in front of me. After 45 minutes I was back in bed. The only damage was a bruised ego.
What will be your response when you awake to find your returned prodigal on the floor once again? I can assure you that it is very difficult to learn to walk again, both after a stroke and after a separation. Even with God's help, in our humanness the victims of both stumble around a bit. Even if we do stumble, we are still home. Your response to a stumbling spouse must be the same as Charlyne’s response when she found me on the floor at 2:00 a.m. She prayed for me. A comment that, “You will never change†must delight the enemy trying to destroy your family.
What will be your reaction if the one you love comes home, and then falls again?
Our example is found in Jesus Christ. How many times have you or I fallen from what God wants? How many times has He picked us up, dusted us off, and pointed us in the right direction once again?
Your returned prodigal will need to grow strong in the spiritual incubator of God’s love and forgiveness, right in your home. That will not happen when you, as a stander, start complaining and making threats every time your beloved stumbles. This is not a license to sin, but allowing your mate the opportunity to grow strong in the Lord, right under your prayers of protection.
May I ask you a second question? Have you, as a stander, fallen and can't get up? Are you tempted to give up because you can’t get up? Regardless of what you have done, regardless of the mistakes you have made, Jesus is standing there today, saying, “Let’s get you up. You can make it.†On this Tuesday, may you allow Jesus to get you “standing firm†once again.
You have a prodigal spouse, headed for Hell, who needs your prayers. I am praying that you will make today a new day, in your quest to handle your marriage problems God's way.
I know from being there, it is a long way up from the floor of the pig pen of life, but it doesn't seem as far when we can see our covenant spouse and Jesus, standing there to help us up, once we prodigals reach out to them.
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord's wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness. Micah 7:7-9
Because He lives,
Bob Steinkamp
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Dear group, let's lift up 
Hello everyone! Let's lift up 
Let's pray for baby Paxton who's rushed to ER not breathing due to RSV. And for 
Prayer Updates
Let's lift up 
Baby Paxton needs urgent prayers for healing! 
Praying for 
