“Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up,” says the elderly lady lying on the floor in a 1980s commercial for emergency services. Most people are familiar with that phrase, even if they don’t know where it originated.

As the nursery rhyme, Ring Around the Rosie says: “…We all fall down.” And it is true. We fall when we’re children…a lot. Why? Because we’re just learning to walk. But as toddlers, we don’t stop trying to walk because we fall. No. There’s something in us that causes us to get up and try again. Staying down is not an option—even with the bumps and bruises, even if we have a crying spell for a moment.

We fall as young people — physically and otherwise — because that’s when we’re most active, playing hard in the game of life, challenging ourselves and being adventurous, perhaps, even a little foolish.

Sometimes, we “fall” in our studies when we don’t apply ourselves or when we face a challenge that knocks us down. We fall morally when we give in to temptations and compromise our convictions. We stumble and fall when we disappoint others and ourselves. We fall because of our own careless steps, and sometimes, life simply knocks us down. There are many ways in which we all fall in this life, but here’s the key. Falling is inevitable. Getting back up is a choice.

Have you fallen recently? Do you feel like you’re “down and out,” as they say, with no way of getting up? Do you feel you’ve been disqualified, benched in the game of life? A cursory glance through the Bible reveals a host of people throughout history who “fell” in one way or another, but who got up, dusted themselves off, bruises and all, and jumped back in the game, with the help of a merciful, gracious, loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God.

We see in the book of Matthew that the Apostle Peter, with great faith in the Lord, stepped out of the boat and walked on the water at the command of Jesus, but “fell,” soon after, and began to sink in the water when he took his eyes of faith off Jesus. But Jesus reached out His hand, pulled Peter up, and put him in the boat when Peter cried out, “Lord, save me.” [Matthew 14:30]

The truth is, we will all fall in life — that is inevitable. But thank God, we have access to Heaven’s emergency call line, for which there is no monthly fee. That fee was paid in full at Calvary when Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Salvation and restoration through Jesus are gifts from God through faith in him.

Scripture tells us: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

If you have fallen, my friend, and feel you can’t get up, just know that the Lord is but a whisper away, and your crying spell will not scare Hhim. Decide today, like the stubborn toddler, that staying down is not an option. Call on the Lord to help you. He is ready to extend his merciful, gracious, loving hand to lift you, dust you off, equip you with his strength and put you back in the game of life.

Lisa Hannan lives in Valdosta with her husband, attorney Miles Hannan, who has been practicing law in Valdosta for more than 30 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Valdosta State University. You can find her at lisahannan.org.