Stuck in the Mud

I own a Jeep. I used to own a "real Jeep." You know, the 2-door Wrangler soft top. Before that, I owned an even more "real Jeep" since it was a 5-speed manual. But now, I own a 4-door Wrangler Unlimited. It's a 4-wheel-drive masterpiece that is as beautiful on the outside as it is capable. Inside my Jeep, in one of my cup holders, I keep a sandstone coaster - one of those that absorbs moisture to keep the bottom of the cup holder from looking like Earth before the Big Bang. (That's a creation theory joke.) The artwork on that coaster simply says, "You can go fast, but I can go anywhere."

It's a Jeep thing.

I'll dive down this rabbit hole just a bit farther, if you permit me. Being a USMC-trained off roader - I spent 4 years assigned to, commanding, and teaching various skills associated with operating one of the Marine Corps' more specialized Light Armored Vehicles (LAV), the AN/MLQ-36 Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System, or MEWSS. That vehicle is an 8-wheel-drive, 14-ton masterpiece of military engineering. It is quite nimble for its size, and its 8-wheel-drive system enables it to be driven across snow and ice, trees, rocks, and of course mud. Unfortunately, even with 8 wheels, sometimes the MEWSS gets stuck in the mud.

Servant Leader, have you ever felt like you could go anywhere, only to find yourself stuck in the mud? Most Jeep owners can attest to that fact. While Jeeps "can" go anywhere, maybe they shouldn't. Sometimes Jeep owners aren't as capable as their Jeeps. We did it in the Marines - got the MEWSS stuck. But every time we got stuck, we learned. We learned more about the vehicle's capabilities and limitations. We learned more about our skill as drivers and commanders. We learned how to mitigate risks associated with challenging orders. But mostly we learned how to dig.

Servant Leader, I chased that rabbit down the hole for a reason. If you feel stuck, have you considered that being stuck is not always a bad thing? Paul was stuck, but in the mire he honored God and God's plan. After being arrested and nearly killed in Jerusalem, Paul spent months traveling to Rome and years under house arrest, during which time, although he was technically jailed, he was allowed to preach and teach and reach people he never would have even met had he not been "stuck in the mud."

"'For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.'...Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.” (Acts 28:20, 30-31 NKJV)

You see, Servant Leader, though you may feel stuck in the mud, God made the mud. Even stupid decisions (yes, we Christians can make some really stupid decisions) can be turned to good for the Kingdom, we simply have to listen to the Spirit and wield the Sword of God's Word. God's Word is always true and always present...

...it's just that sometimes it looks like a shovel.

(Photo: offroadextreme.com)