Stick the Landing

All of us fall at one time or another. Our Father in Heaven knows what we need even before we do.

When I was young, I remember watching Olga Korbut in the Olympics. I was amazed at how she could flip high in the air and land on her feet. Blew my mind. Years later, I was waiting for my older sister to finish her gymnastics practice after High School. They talked me into trying a forward roll and headstand. That was all it took and I was on the team. They were not picky. Turns out I did okay. In my first year, we even made it to the state finals. The number one thing that all gymnasts try to do after a trick is "Stick the landing!" Even one extra step after landing could knock you and your team from scoring well.

What inspired me to try to stick each landing? It was not easy to do and took tons of practice. Was it the Olympic greats? Nope. Was it my coach yelling that at me after every trick? Nope. Many years back, while my family was over visiting their friends, my sister and I decided to sneak away and check out their basement. The steep stairs were bare pine used for unfinished basements. There was not much to see, just a washer and dryer on a dimly lit gray cement floor. As I looked back up the stairs, I saw my baby brother speedily walking towards the open basement door.

Before I could yell "Stop!", he had already launched himself off the first step and was hurtling straight for the basement floor below. As I watched him fall in mid-air, his whole body instantly straightened with arms tight by his side, legs together, and his chin tucked back.

He gracefully did a full layout front flip and stuck his landing softly without even bending his knees. Feet together, with no extra step. Front flips are a blind move and harder to stick than back flips. Let alone from a toddler that just learned how to walk. My sister and I ran over and hugged him, thinking he was the luckiest kid in the world. Years later, it was obvious that God carried my baby brother and landed him safely. That divine memory is what inspired me to try and "stick the landing".

In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene, I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one set of footprints. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow, or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,” You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life, there have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?” The Lord replied, “The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you.”