Many years ago, when I was young and unencumbered by aging knees, I climbed out our bathroom window and stood on the sunroom roof. My intention was to wash the windows; however, I quickly realized the power of gravity. I was unprepared for the significant downward pull, prompting a rapid return to the safety of solid (indoor) ground.
Downward Pull
So much in life pulls us in directions we’d rather not go. Often, that pull cements us in place and inhibits forward motion. Other times, the pull is lateral, sidelining us for a time, like a rail car on a forgotten siding. Effort is required to avoid getting comfortable in that location.
When a promotion or other exciting life event elevates us, we rejoice and think our trajectory is forever upward. Then, an inevitable downward thrust mires us in reality.
Life will always include a downward pull. Otherwise, we’d float through life. That may sound appealing, the idea of floating through life, but think what you’d miss if your feet never touched solid ground. Your interaction with nature and others would be fleeting, momentary, never up close and personal.
Fighting Against Gravity
Mankind’s battle against gravity has been going on since the beginning of time. Ancient cultures built towers and other edifices to elevate themselves above ground level and show their ingenuity.
The Wright brothers were determined to become airborne. Others followed, flying greater distances, all the while fighting against gravity.
Hundreds of scientists and engineers worked tirelessly to create a craft that could break the bonds of earth and catapult men into space.
We all fight, in some form or another, to break free from what holds us back. If a baby gave up the first time he tried to walk, he’d be mired forever to the floor, his center of gravity holding him down.
Your fight against what holds you captive may be significant. Don’t give up. Gravity serves a purpose. Perhaps your situation is teaching, instructing, protecting, or humbling you.
Understanding the Power of Gravity
Although I’ve experienced gravity all my life, the day I climbed out on the sunroom roof was the first time I fully understood gravity’s power. The downward pull was so intense I wasn’t sure I could overcome it.
Many life situations have a downward thrust similar to gravity. Will you have the strength to battle an unwanted diagnosis? Can you overcome the heavy grief of loss? Is it possible to pull free of past mistakes and walk a different path without returning to old, familiar patterns?
Only you can determine if you’re willing to make the effort to push against what threatens to hold you down.
Center of Gravity
The definition of center of gravity is an imaginary point in a body of matter where the total weight of the body is thought to be concentrated.
I know where my center of gravity is physically, but I also know my spiritual center. Without a firm anchor to Eternal God, I’d float on the whims of earthly thought patterns, untethered and unraveling. I’m thankful for the anchor of faith that grounds me despite difficulty and serves as a center of gravity for my life.
“I bless the Lord: O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and with majesty and light! You stretched out the starry curtain of the heavens, and hollowed out the surface of the earth to form the seas. You bound the world together so that it would never fall apart” (Psalm 104:1-3,5 LB).
©CandyArrington
Candy Arrington is an award-winning writer, blogger, and speaker. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving through, and beyond, difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotions published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well (Bold Vision Books), When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House), and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
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