Sinkhole...

It has been snowy here in the suburbs of Chicago, then it warms up and the ground gets soft and muddy. As we walk along we step into a place that is rather solid and muddy but we keep going and think very little about the mud on our shoes. As we walk, the ground gets a little softer and the mud creeps up on our shoes, then pretty soon we look down to notice that our shoes are fully covered in mud, and we are upset. Yet, we didn't take the time to notice as we walked that the ground so muddy or soft. Eventually, we shake off the mud, and keep going, we try to pay more attention but we often get distracted and do not pay that close attention to the ground that we are walking on, til we slip so far into the mud that we are sunken in all the way. Then we find that we are in the bottom of the pit, we have fallen into the sinkhole and are now covered in mud.

We try to climb out of that sinkhole, it can be a spiritual, emotional, physical or any other aliment that we are facing. It pulls us in to the point that we are sunk. It happens slowly over time like the mud on your shoes and you don't notice until it is too late, or at the point when you are so far covered that you are not sure if you are capable or able to get out of that hole.

At this point we sit and wonder what do we do to get out, is it possible, will people look at me as if I am stained, will they see the mud that covers me? Will they judge me? Who can I turn to and what do I say? Does pride get in the way, why is it so shameful to admit that we need help at times in life? Life is filled with so many up and downs that we have people in our life that are there to help us at our times of need.Although, once we have sunken it is the hardest place to climb out of, often because we do not want to admit that we have fallen that far down.   If we are willing to reach out to them. We have pastors, friends, christian friends, doctors, psychologists, therapists are all at our disposal if we chose to take a step forward, and grab that first rock there on the wall in the sinkhole. There is help there, but you have to uncover that rock that is so mud covered that it is so hard to see, bu it is there if we start to reach out for help. We come to see that we are not alone in the mud, rather there is others there that are reaching out to you with a towel, and no judgment attached to it at all.

So, you take that first step and call someone, they are there and are willing to help if you allow them, you found that first rock, and now have to be willing to follow and receive all that is there for you to keep climbing out of that sinkhole. It can be as simple as talking to someone, getting involved with others, fully, trusting them and reaching out to them before you sink so far that you are scared to come out of the hole because of the shame that you hold within you. Prayer, is a key here, it opens you up to receive all that God has to offer and will remove all that shame, and guilt that you may feel for falling. That relationship with God, is so vital at this time, yet you feel you have walked or sunken so far that God has walked away from you. What we tell ourselves is not always true, God is there with open arms if we are willing to run to him. He is there for comfort and guidance, peace is there in His presence if we are willing to go to our heavenly Father.

He is there with us at all times if we are willing to take that first step and reach out to him, we can reach the Father in Heaven by prayer, reading the Bible and by praise and worship. Praise and worship can be a powerful thing with we are in the sinkhole. By calling out to God, and letting Him know we need help, he is there, and will not turn a deaf ear to his children. His presence comes to us when we call him by name, but we have to be willing to acknowledge Him when he comes to us. By praising and worshiping the Holy, Heavenly Father we are opening ourselves to Him, his Spirit and his holy presence. In this pace we find that mud that was covering us falls away. Once we open ourselves up to God, our pastors, christian friends, doctors etc we will see that muddiness fall away. With the mud that shame and guilt seems to disappear, we we start to grow once again. It all comes together, yet one has to take that first grasp, and hold onto that muddy rock and start to climb out of that sinkhole. By taking it one rock at a time we climb out onto solid ground, and can walk clean once again.