“Ring around the rosie
A pocket full of posies
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down!”
– Kate Greenaway, 1881
Peter and Iona Opie, the leading authorities on nursery rhymes, suggest that the meaning of this timeless rhyme is tied to the Great Plague of 1665, in which millions “fell down.”
“We all fall down” is a testament to group think. When one falls, we all fall. It is human nature to do what those around us do. We want to get along. We want to fit in, even if it means “we all fall down.”
The Bible offers a better alternative. “Be not conformed to this world” (Romans 12:1). Stand on your own. When others fall, you need to rise. When others relapse, you need to recommit. When others go down, you need to stand up.
Recovery Step: No one can make you fall down. Except you. But you don’t have to do it.
Author: Mark Denison
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.