Strength in the Kneeling

One evening we were invited to friends’ home for dinner.

Before we gathered around the table, we sat together in the living room — talking, laughing, sharing what the Lord had been teaching us. We read a few passages of Scripture, and before long, we joined hands and prepared to kneel in prayer.

It was in that moment I was reminded that there is strength in the kneeling.

It used to be something I did without thinking when I was younger.

Just a natural lowering.
A quiet bow.
A familiar posture of surrender.

But that night, before I even bent my knees, I hesitated.
Not because I didn’t want to pray.
But because I wasn’t sure how easily I would get back up.

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When Kneeling Isn’t Easy Anymore

Aging has a way of turning simple movements into deliberate ones.

My knees don’t bend as smoothly.
My balance isn’t as steady.
And somewhere in the back of my mind is the quiet question:

How will I rise again?

There have been times at church when I felt led to go down to the altar.

That quiet tug on my heart.
That whisper that says, Go.

And I didn’t.

Not because I didn’t want to pray.

But because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get back up.

I’ve sat there gripping the pew in front of me, wrestling with that decision.

Wanting to kneel.
Wanting to surrender.
But calculating the strength it would take to rise again.

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The Strength It Takes to Rise

And there was one time I did go.

I lowered myself slowly to the altar.

Carefully.

Aware of every knee, every shift of balance.

And when it was time to stand, it took everything I had.

One hand on the floor and one on the altar.
One deep breath.
A quiet determination not to fall.

It wasn’t graceful.

It wasn’t easy.

But I stood.

And in that moment, I realized something I hadn’t understood before.

Kneeling takes strength.

Not just in the body.

In the spirit.

There was a time when kneeling felt like humility.

Now it feels like vulnerability.

Because kneeling means admitting I cannot stand on my own.

It means trusting that I will rise again.

Physically… and spiritually.

And that trust doesn’t always come easily.

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Strength in the Kneeling

I’ve always preferred standing tall.

Independent.
Capable.
Self-sufficient.

We talked about that in our reflection on Stand Up Straight — how posture isn’t just about shoulders back, but about how we carry ourselves before the world and before God.

But kneeling has a way of softening that independence.

It reminds me that strength isn’t only in standing firm.

Sometimes strength is in bending low.

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Keeping the Body Willing

Physically, I know I need to keep my legs and core strong so kneeling doesn’t disappear from my life. But reminding my brain that it can still do it… is its own quiet reflection.

Gentle squats.
Holding onto the counter while practicing balance.
Slow transitions from sitting to standing.

Small movements that keep my body capable of lowering — and rising.

Small Movements Matter

I’ve been trying to rebuild strength in simple ways.

Sitting at my desk, I’ve been doing leg lifts.
Nothing dramatic. Just small, quiet movements to wake things back up.

So last week, I thought…

Let me try a squat.

I was in the bathroom, and I wasn’t planning to go down very far.

Just a little.
Just enough to see where I was.

But instead of my core stopping me and lifting me back up…

I just kept going down until I was on the ground.

And in that moment, I realized something.

It took years to get here.
It isn’t going to come back from doing leg lifts at my desk for one week.

And then Saturday came.

I spent the day laying edging pavers — close to fifty of them.
Bending. Lifting. Leveling. Moving. Repeat. Dirt. Mulch.

By that evening, I couldn’t even lift my arm.

It wasn’t subtle.
It was my body reminding me, very clearly, where I am right now.

Thankfully, by Sunday morning, I was able to get ready for Easter service.

But even then…

I moved a little slower.
A little more aware.

And maybe that’s part of the lesson too.

Strength isn’t rebuilt in one moment.

It’s rebuilt in many small moments.

In our reflection on Core Strength: Rebuilding from the Center, we talked about how everything begins in the middle — how strengthening your center gives you the ability to rise again.

I don’t want to lose the ability to rise…
because that would mean losing the ability to kneel.

Not just for mobility.

But for meaning.

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Kneeling in the Spirit

Spiritually, kneeling is where pride loosens its grip.

It’s where control gives way to trust.

It’s where we admit: I can’t do this alone.

There is strength in standing tall in faith.

There is strength in rebuilding from the center.

And there is strength in kneeling low in surrender.

All of it requires courage.

All of it requires balance.

All of it flows from the same place — a heart willing to be shaped.

That evening at our friends’ home, I lowered myself slowly.

Carefully.

And when it was time to stand, I pressed my hand into the arm of the sofa and rose.

Not quickly.

Not effortlessly.

But steadily.

And it reminded me of something important.

We do not kneel because we are weak.

We kneel because we trust that we will rise again.

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⏸️ Let me ask you…

Have you ever hesitated to kneel — in body or in spirit?

Is there something you’ve been holding back because you’re unsure you’ll have the strength to rise again?

Sometimes the bravest posture is not standing taller.

It’s kneeling lower.

And trusting that when it’s time to rise, you will be given the strength you need.

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Continuing the Posture & Strength Journey…

We began by learning how to Stand Up Straight. Then we moved inward —rebuilding strength at the Center with Core Strength.

Here, we come to something quieter… the strength it takes to kneel.

And to trust that we will rise again.

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💌 Join Our Journey

If this reflection felt a little too familiar… you’re not alone.

We are learning, too, that strength doesn’t always look like standing firm. Sometimes it looks like bending low. Sometimes it looks like rising slowly. And sometimes it looks like simply showing up with willing hearts.

We send a gentle note whenever a new post goes live — no clutter, no noise — just meaningful reflections, shared moments, and encouragement for whatever season you’re walking through.

If you’d like to continue this journey with us, we would love to have you.

With love,
Wanda & Kim
💛 Mom and Me Moments

Until our moments bring us together again — make every moment meaningful.