Mulling It Over

Lately I’ve thought a lot about the theme of redemption. Especially how God can redeem ridiculously bad situation. It’s easy to say, and I hear myself saying it a lot. And usually believing it! But.. Just how? How can He redeem the life of an alcoholic who is 6 bottles deep of some horrible, throat burning alcohol and reaching for a 7 th ? How can He redeem the woman who sells herself every night to make enough money to survive? Or the one who is there against her will? How can He redeem the kid who looks at porn night after night, thinking somehow that this is how life is supposed to look? Fed this lie by a broken culture. How can He redeem the family who’s abusive husband/father comes home ready to fight every night? How can He redeem all of this? How can He take this and make it new? Make into something beautiful? Something whole? I don’t get it. I don’t get how He can be in every situation. In every moment. Moments where the alcoholic goes for t...

Crunching around on the road I realized that this was a problem. I could not get out. My wheels were only digging an ever larger pit in the mud, and I was going nowhere. What’s more, I’m pretty sure this was the only ditch I had seen on that entire stretch of road. Of course. My optimism couldn’t be killed though, not yet. Initially several people passed by in their vehicles outfitted for such terrain, unlike me. The conversations would go like this: Them: You stuck?    Me: Sure am!  Them: Is someone coming to pick you up? Me: Not that I know of, one guy offered when he comes back down the road  Them: Well you got a chain or a rope or something? Me: Nope! Them: Well…. We don’t either………. Me: No problem! I’m kinda enjoying myself  Them: Well.. Sorry. Hope you get out! Yeah, that's mighty stuck.  Then they’d take off. Feeling bad, but not too bad I imagine. I was fine with it. It was too pretty outside. And I had an un-killable mood....

As my Salmon XA 3D Ultra 2 shoes crunch around on the several inches of well packed snow and ice on the road that ultimately leads to Long Creek Falls and I survey the area around me I realize something… I’m in a bit of a pickle. A very cold pickle. Let me back up a bit.  Impulsiveness is not in my blood. It’s unfortunate because I feel like people really enjoy being spontaneous. Being impulsive. I mean a lot of the teenage culture that is in the States is about people breaking the status quo, doing something crazy and going and living life in some funky new way. But it’s just not me. I try to plan everything. Meticulous research and detail. Surprises aren’t really my thing either, so I try to be prepared for any eventualities. Even when I say I’m being spontaneous, there’s been some planning and thought that’s gone into it. Knowing all of this about me puts into perspective just how interesting my weekend was. A little more background, first. Lately I’ve fel...