Didn't I Tell You? Bumbles Bounce!

“It’s not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts.” - Zig Ziglar

I have lost count of how many times I have seen Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the animated Christmas special narrated by Burl Ives that has aired on TV every year since 1964. Let’s just say that I can recite most of the dialogue by heart.

Among the most memorable lines are “This fog is as thick as peanut butter,” “Next stop, the Island of Misfit Toys,” and “Nobody wants to play with a Charlie-in-the-Box”. And then there is the scene where Yukon Cornelius pushes the Abominable Snow Monster off a cliff, only to fall over the cliff himself.

“He’s gone, he’s gone,” Rudolph laments. “Yukon Cornelius is gone!”

The first time I watched the program as a little boy, I was devastated. However, my sadness soon turned to joy because Yukon Cornelius reappears later in the show with the now-tamed Snow Monster in tow. When Rudolph asks how Yukon Cornelius survived the plunge over the cliff, he replies, “Didn’t I tell you? Bumbles bounce!”

And that, my friends, is one of the secrets to life.

You see, as humans, we are all apt to fall at one time or another. We just can’t help ourselves. The key is whether we remain “down and out” or by God’s grace and power, we rise back onto our feet and keep plodding away for His glory.

As for me, let’s just say that the old saying “Been there, done that, and have the t-shirt to show for it” fits like a glove. However, like a boxer who got knocked to the canvas by a powerful left jab followed by an even more devastating right hook, I somehow managed to get back on my feet and continue to fight.

Getting knocked down was my part. Getting back up was God’s.

Moses, David, Peter and countless others in the Bible could tell you similar stories about how they went over a spiritual cliff because of their own sins, stubbornness, and stupidity. But they could also recount for you how God enabled them to “bounce back” to serve Him again, sometimes in an even greater capacity.

My friend, whatever you’ve done, please don’t allow Satan to convince you that you are irredeemable. God still has a plan and a purpose for you and your life. Just tell Him you’re sorry, ask for another chance, and get ready to bounce… high!

“For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.” Proverbs 24:16 (BSB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President