It was so sad! Today, as I was driving on the interstate in Portland, I saw a wounded squirrel in the middle of the two southbound lanes. It looked as though his hind legs had been run over and he was scooching his way across the highway, just trying to make it to the other side alive before he was hit again. There was nothing I could do to help it without endangering myself and others in the heavy traffic.
Maybe you feel like that squirrel. You have been “hit” by life in some way and you are wounded. Meanwhile, life continues to happen and more situations keep coming at you while you try to make it to a safe place and recover. “Please God, just help me make it out of this.” Or, if the situation is really bad and you have lost all hope, you might think, “Just hit me again and put me out of my misery!”
No matter what you are going through, there is hope. Jesus has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Either He will rescue you from the situation or He will give you grace and strength to endure. This almost sounds cliche and it is easier said than done, but it is true.
The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to be rescued and to have to endure. Sometimes, he faced tremendous pressure and danger, and God delivered him. At at least one other time, when he was hit by something in life, he cried out for God to deliver him. The response? “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul went on to say that when he was the weakest, he was the most confident because he knew the power of Christ rested on him during those times.
What situation has hit you and left you wounded? A cruel word or action? Loss of a job? Betrayed by a friend? Whatever it may be, God wants to help you across the road. It is completely safe for Him to do so. He will enter the heavy traffic of your life, pick you up in His protective hands, and get you to a place of rest and recovery in Him. No, it may not happen as quickly as you would like it or in the way you would like it. But if you are open to Him and willing to trust Him, you will find that the outcome will be better than what you ever thought possible.
By the way, I said a prayer for the squirrel and I will for you, too.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30)
“God in Heaven, I am going through a rough time. I have been hit by life and I do not know if I am going to make it. Part of me wants to give up and part of me wants to survive, but I do not know if I can continue in this. Would you intervene and bring me through? I choose to rest in Your strength and power in whatever way You choose to move. In Jesus’ name, amen.”