Work started off mostly normal the other day, clock in check email and get a list of any complaints that need to be taken care of. Things changed quickly as the work truck I was riding in (make sure you notice I wasn’t driving) got stuck as we pulled off the road to check on a complaint. We were just barely off the street, in fact one set of the tires were still actually touching the curb, but regardless we were stuck. The ground, saturated from the days of rain, just pulled us in and wouldn’t release its grip it had on our truck. There were signs showing us that the ground was not safe to drive on but they were ignored and by the time I noticed we were sinking and told the driver to stop, it was too late; the damage was done.
Getting stuck didn’t bother me all that much, I actually found it somewhat amusing, but there were things we needed to take care of but for the time we were just stuck. We tried rocking the truck out, we attempted to shove what we could find under the tires for traction, we tried pushing it out but despite all of our efforts we just dug in deeper, the ground sucking us deeper in the harder we tried to get free. We ended up calling our boss to free us since we realized we were not going to get out on our own. Our boss brought the other truck, tied straps between us and pulled us out nice and easy. There were scars in the ground from our failed attempts of freedom and our truck bore the dirt and mud of the experience but we were free from its grip.
This experience made me remember all of the times I have gotten myself stuck in my relationship with Jesus Christ. The ground looks safe to go out on but upon closer inspection or retrospect the warning signs were always there. It doesn’t take much for sin to grab a hold and start pulling you in, you may just be right on the edge but that is all it needs to start sucking you in. Sin devours, engulfs and pulls you deeper and deeper and the harder you try on your own the deeper you get stuck. But freedom is there and it is closer then you may realize, all you have to do is stop relying on yourself and ask Jesus Christ, our boss, to grab us and pull us out. There may be damage and scars from being stuck and we may be covered in dirt and mud but the blood of Jesus can and will cleanse us.
Are you stuck now? Are you trying on your own to free yourself but seem to just get pulled in even deeper? Maybe it is time for you to hand over the chains to Jesus and let Him pull you free.
