I thought once I became an adult, I wouldn’t have to climb any more. Boy, was I wrong.

As a child, I didn’t like to have to ask for things I wanted on the kitchen counter or in my closet, so my parents bought me a little stepping stool. I absolutely loved it. It was red with a poem written on top in large white letters. I can’t remember the exact words, but the poem went something like this: I use this stool to reach things I couldn’t and lots of things I shouldn’t.

Over time, I out-grew my little red stool. I was tall enough to reach things on top of the counter, but the stuff in the top cabinets were a different story. Being the spry tomboy I was, I climbed onto the counter and stood on it to reach the top cabinets. It worked until my mother caught me at it. She asked why I didn’t use a chair to reach what I needed. I simply answered, “Where’s the fun in that?”

Let me tell you, that kind of fun continues for me to this day. Like my Mamaw Holbert, my dad’s mother, I quit growing at the age of twelve. I reached the tall height of 5’1”.
Since I don’t climb like I use to, I have to be more inventive to reach things that are up just a little too high. I have hopped and grabbed a few times. Being an old ball player, I have thrown things in order to knock something off. I have used something like a yard stick or broom to scoot something off. Sometimes I have hopped and slung a dish towel to wrangle something down.

Recently, I tossed a pair of pajamas pants into the top of the bathroom closet. I got carried away and threw them too far back. So, I grabbed the back scrubber out of the shower and I jumped and used the scrubber to pull the pants to where I could grab them.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)

Over my life, I have worked very hard to reach things that I wanted or needed. But there is one thing I have that I could never get no matter how much I worked and climbed: my salvation. Salvation only comes to us through the Grace of the Lord. Are you taking advantage of His free gift? The benefits are eternal.

We now have a paint ladder in the house. I basically use it to paint or clean since I have such short arms. At times, I have climbed up it and just looked around. Tim will ask me what I’m doing and I answer, “Just wondering how the world looks to taller people.”

Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. Also, she is a member of Toastmasters. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. And she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.