Have you ever gotten stuck in the mud? Maybe you have pulled off the road to park and it was muddier than you thought? Gone down a dirt road that wasn’t as packed down as you thought? Have you tried to walk through an area that turned out to be marsh and ended up ankle deep in slimy, slick, sucking, mud? It throws us off balance. It has the potential to cause us to fall.

Life is muddy. This is the image that has spoken to me of late as I look at life.

Pandemic.

Racial unrest.

The economy.

Masks.

The election.

The constant bickering and arguing.

It saps our strength. It takes concentration. And trying to do normal life while navigating is exhausting. It is heavy. It slows us down. It wears us down. It gets everywhere. I want to move faster, but that causes me to get just that much more dug in. Each step is possibly catastrophic. It keeps us from getting where we want to be.

If our cars get stuck in the mud, there are things that can help us get out. We can put a board of some sort under our wheels. Maybe some straw or hay. Something to give us traction. Our instinct is to gun the engine, but anyone who has tried that, knows it doesn’t work. It only makes it worse.

To get out of the mud we need to be methodical. Strategic. Careful. We need to move forward slowly.

If we try and go too fast, we get stuck, and anyone behind our cars gets sprayed. While it makes a great comedy episode, it is not, actually, a good thing to do.

As we make our way through our current muddy situation it is good to remember that it is harder to do just about anything. We have to be careful to not slip and fall. The mud shows up everywhere, tracked through the house, in the car, on your clothes. We try and move fast but it is ever present. Dangerous. Damaging. Staining.

We need things to hang on to. God’s word. God’s promises. Gratitude. Friends. Prayer.

We also need to remember everyone is in the mud. Some have fallen. Some are spinning their wheels, getting even more dug in. Some are throwing mud at others. Some are pulling others down into the mud with them. Mud wrestling at its finest.

We have a choice to what we do in the mud. Consider slowing down and being present in the mud.

It isn’t all bad.

We had yard work done last week in the rain. I am still cleaning mud up. Mud got everywhere. But it was for a good purpose. Mud can promote good things.

People pay to do “mudders”—races in the mud. People go to spas to get a mud wrap. Children enjoy making mud pies. Mud can be difficult, but it can also strengthen us and get rid of impurities and give us joy. If we embrace it, it can be therapeutic and allow for growth.

I want to encourage you to join me in the mud. Be intentional. Let it be a time of healing and growth. Remember it is exhausting and don’t try to do too much too fast. Stay present in the moment. Let God direct your steps.

Psalm 40

¹ I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
² He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.

Read more of Psalm 40

Rev. Shannon Jordan

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