You Mean What?

I love words that have multiple meanings. Sure they flustered me as a child, but now I tend to view them as perfect material for embarrassingly dry and remarkably fantastic “pun” humor. Believe it or not, there is actually a Guinness World Record for the word that has the most meanings with the verb ‘set’ taking said coveted title.

Why do I bring this up? Well, this month’s theme “Fall into Grace” centers on one of those words-that-have-a-lot-of-meanings words.

Fall.

Oxford English Dictionary comes up with 264 meanings for this simple 4-letter word. Impressive right? Makes me feel a little bit better about the time I’ve spent staring at my blinking cursor on a blank Word document trying to figure out how in the world I was going to write any semblance of a readable and semi-interesting blog post around a concept that can be interpreted so many different ways.

As a wheeler, falling - at least in the conventional/literal sense - isn’t something that typically crosses my mind. I may worry occasionally about “falling” during a transfer, an event I more (or less) lovingly refer to as “biffing it,” but that’s about it. That, my friends, is what I call a silver lining to assuming a permanently seated position and not having to worry about tripping and falling over my own massively uncoordinated feet - especially in the snow-covered and icy winter Wisconsin streets and parking lots.

At the same time, I will admit to worrying about a different kind of falling. Well, maybe worrying is too strong of a word…I will admit to having an undeniable level of concern about a different kind of falling. Falling in love.

I’ve fallen in love before and I’m not talking about the often flippant and over dramatic love that seems to overtake the lives of many teenagers (yea, I may have been one of those…). I’m talking about that kind of love that you are so sure is real. So sure that it’s reciprocated.  A love that started with a casual conversation and has now culminated in an exuberant “YES,” a glittering ring on a particular finger, and a white dress purchased and ready for its debut on a very special day. A special day where you commit yourself to another in front of your friends, family, and God.

Yea, I’ve been in that kind of love… but I’m not there anymore.  It only took one moment for my world to turn in a different direction and the path I thought I had paved so perfectly for my life to be obliterated. That white dress never made its debut and the glittering ring was set aside. That moment is now 3.5 years in the past and I can’t say I’m upset or angry things have turned out the way they have. I’m so grateful for what I’ve learned from “falling in love” and really, from falling out of love.

But then again, the thought of opening one’s self to that possibility of hurt, that idea of falling in and then maybe out of love again - oofta. Love is hard.

Yet that’s not really a fair thing to say. Love CAN be hard, but it can also be beautiful. God’s love is beautiful. It can lift you up and out of the darkest moments of your life. It can make you realize that you are worth so very much.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.  
           Psalm 143:8

An earthly relationship is a wonderful blessing from God, yet I couldn’t be more thankful for my season of “falling out of love” and singleness. It has been a time that has opened my eyes to a love that’s so strong, so faithful, so unending, and so perfect. It’s a time that has allowed me to “fall” in the best possible way.

Take some time and fall in love with God - fall into his protective and loving arms.
Fall into him.