Getting Unstuck

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This is the time of year when people tend to start worrying about driving in bad weather. No one wants to get stranded in the ditch on the side of an icy road in the middle of a snow storm. I have gone into the ditch myself and I’ve also pushed or pulled multiple people out of the ditch when they were stranded. I still remember when I was a Child my parents packing the car with an emergency kit including warm clothes, blankets, matches and a candle; just in case we might get stranded on the way to grandma’s house two hours away.

I know many young people who are willing to go out in just about any weather conditions. Their confidence seems boundless and busting through drifts or driving in whiteout conditions simply seems like an adventure to tell about. I still remember when I was in college, packing three or four of my friends into my car with skis and snowboards, and driving through a snow storm to get to the local ski resort. We figured as long as we could get there we should be some of the first ones to carve through the fresh powder!

As people get older their perspective often changes. They weigh the risks differently and what once would have seemed like an adventure now seems dangerous and foolish. It may seem better to stay home than to risk being hit by another car or sliding into the ditch and getting stuck. When you get stuck you loose your freedom and you can’t move! And as your freedom disappears often times your joy disappears as well, and frustration takes its place.

I recently experienced getting stuck as I attempted to bring home a load of firewood to heat our home. I had already cut down a large dead oak that had been standing in the middle of a plowed field, and now the task at hand was to cut it up and take it home.

I left home two and a half hours before sunrise and soon I was bucking the limbs into stove length by the light of my headlamp. The snow was falling heavily and the wind blew sawdust into my face. The dust caught on my beard and made my eyes sting. Some of the larger pieces must have been over forty inches through and were too heavy for me to load alone. But with a brand new chain and a twenty-five inch bar I was able to get a lot of wood cut in just a few hours. The snow had stopped falling when I began to load up the truck and I wondered if I would have any trouble backing out of the field. I had recently purchased this pickup from one of the friendly car dealers in Dodge Center, and what had fit into my budget was NOT a 4-wheel drive!

Perhaps the tires were warm and had melted the snow and dirt beneath them. My back tires spun like crazy, but the truck wouldn’t move an inch. I began digging with my axe in front of and behind the tires, but still the truck wouldn’t move. I stopped to say a prayer and continued digging. Finally I managed to get a few inches forward and I began to lay down pieces of bark behind my tires for traction. My tires caught and I started backing out of the field not stopping to turn around! I had about 400 feet of field to drive over to get to the gravel road and with my limited steering ability, I bounced out of the smooth trail into some rough plowed ground.

Just as I got to the field drive some large logs bounced out behind the truck and one of them lodged itself under my axel! Now that I was high centered my back left tire spun, barely touching the snow beneath it. I tried banging it out and failed. I got under the truck with my chain saw and started making some progress. But as soon as I got to the place with the highest pressure, the chain got pinched. It was an awkward angle and I couldn’t free it with my axe! But I was able to remove the bolts from my chainsaw and wrench the bar free. I installed my other chan and soon I was cutting again. This time I cut more carefully but soon the vehicle shifted again and this chain was also held fast. The cuts had loosened the log enough that I was able to knock it loose with my splitting maul, and after reloading the wood I was able to drive out onto the road.

Relief flooded over me as I realized I would soon be home. My exhausting ordeal made me begin to think about how easily we can get stuck in other areas of life. We have projects, that we can never seem to get around to doing; people we can’t seem to get along with; and goals that may never be realized unless we can get unstuck.

Many people feel stuck in their own frustration and feelings of despair. Others are spiritually stuck—they haven’t been to church in months or even years, they tried to read the Bible but never got very far. Perhaps they feel caught in a web of guilt or addiction and just don’t know where to turn!

Anything worth doing takes some effort. Sometimes the hardest part seems to be knowing where to start. And the good news is there is One who wants to guide you each step of the way. He can lift you out of your depression and He can heal your broken relationships. Your job is to ask for his help and let him take control. James 1:5 says you can ask God for wisdom and he will give it to you. Once you know that first step ask Him for strength to follow through. Isaiah 40:29 promises strength to those who need it. Perhaps you need to pick up that Good book again and find some promises. If your tires are spinning and you don’t know where to find God’s promises, then do a google search and look for promises that apply to your situation! Maybe God wants you make the effort to go to church. Reconnect with other pilgrims on their way to heaven. Read the story of the shepherds in Luke chapter two and let the joy of Christmas be rekindled in your own heart. With a prayer and a little effort, we can all be on the road to a better place.