A soft place to fall

when David was in the cave
when Daniel was in the lions' den
when Jeremiah was in the mucky cistern
when Elijah lost heart
when Anna lost her husband
when Nabal was an idiot
when Bathsheba lost her child
when Hannah was barren for years
when Jonah was in the big fish
when Moses and Aaron were blamed
when Joshua and Caleb were the believing minority
when Sarah was desired by Abimelech
when Leah went unloved
when Rachel was barren
when Gideon was skeptical
when Saul was troubled
when Adam and Eve lost Abel
when Jacob brought on his brother's hatred
when Joseph was in jail
when Paul was afflicted
when Peter denied You
when Mary Magdalene couldn't find You
when Rahab waited for the walls to fall
when Naomi lost her men
when Ruth gleaned in the fields
when Mary was with child
when Joseph was contemplating a quiet divorce
when Zechariah burned the incense
when Peter was in jail
when Paul and Silas were in jail
when John was alone on the island
when Noah was mocked
when Abraham set out for the promised land

You were there.
You were their soft place to fall,
when everything around them
was too quiet,
too loud,
too dry,
too mucky,
too chaotic,
too lonely,
too uncertain,
too painful,
too unfaithful,
too real.

when the rent is due
when the baby has a rare disease
when the brother has died
when the mother doesn't know anyone anymore
when the father loses his job
when the cousin turns to drugs
when the aunt has a heart attack
when the tsunami, the hurricane, the earthquake destroys
when the storm wakes us in the night
when the doctors are baffled
when the cure is still in the distant future
when the money is tight
when the spouse doesn't understand
when the date went sour
when the job gets boring
when the sock goes missing
when someone forgot to use fabric softener
when the toilet overflows
when the fridge goes kaput
when the car won't start
when traffic is horrendous
when the milk is curdled
when the toast burns
when no one wants to sign the cast
when the kids are taunting
when the inspiration is lacking
when the energy peters out
when the decision is difficult
when there are too many options
when someone was unfair
when a reputation is tarnished
when lies reign in the world
when evil seems to be running rampant

You say...

"Do not be afraid."
"Peace, be still."
"Receive."
"Keep on going."
"Don't worry. These things will be provided."
"I will come."
"I will return."
"I have been there."
"I know how that feels."
"I am with you."
"I know you."
"I love you."
"I AM THAT I AM."

And that is all we need to know.