Stumbling Yet Following

Ever felt like life knocked you flat on your face? One moment you’re soaring, and the next—you’re down, breathless, and wondering if it’s even worth getting up again.

Athlete Heather Dorniden knows what that’s like. In the 2008 Big Ten Indoor Track Championships, she was leading the 600-meter race, just one lap from victory, when—bam!—she tripped and crashed to the track. It looked like the end. But Heather didn’t stay down. In a stunning display of grit and determination, she sprang to her feet, pushed harder than ever, and in the final stretch—she won the race.

It’s a story that still gives me goosebumps, even though I am hardly athletic… And it’s not just because she won, but to me it is all because she didn’t let her fall define her or the outcome of her race. To me, Heather's recovery gives a powerful picture of what it means to follow Jesus. Because…

Let’s be honest—sometimes we stumble. We even fall down hard. Our faith wavers, we mess up, we hit the ground, we lose ourselves. Mary Magdalene, in both The Chosen and the Bible, knows this feeling all too well. Maybe you do as well. But, just like with Mary Magdalene, Jesus never calls us to stay down, to live stumbling and falling. It’s okay if it happens, even if you fall hard, but Jesus is there to help you on your feet again. He calls us to get up, dust off, and keep tracking. Mary Magdalene did it, by Jesus’ grace, and so can you.

Today, let’s dig into what it means to follow Jesus—even when we fall—and how God’s grace empowers us to get back on our feet and finish strong.

When have you felt disqualified because of failure? How does Mary Magdalene’s—or even Heather’s—story change your perspective?

P.S. Are you enjoying this journey with Mary Magdalene? Your own character might even resemble hers. Care to find out? Take our The Chosen 'Test of Character' and journey for a while with the character you have the most in common with.