The Australian outback is probably one of the most notoriously safe looking, yet dangerous places trudged by adventurers and survivalist. I remember seeing a road sign when i travelled there that was thought provoking. It was at a point where the road forked. It said this; “Choose your rut wisely, you will be in it for a long time.” A rut is a gravel road that has been grooved by the wheels of vehicles with a high clearance. This means the road has a high ridge in the middle making it impossible to turn left or right should one decide to go back. Sometimes we get caught up in the ruts of life which are just so difficult to get out of. It could be an attitude rut, a feeling of constant depression because of the unfortunate turn of events or plans. For some it’s a job/career rut, a feeling of being stuck in a dead end job that has no other options. Then there’s the marriage rut, that sense of just being in a marriage because you have to be there. It’s a horrible feeling no mater what the rut is, and all you want is just to get out.
I read a story of a man who was on his way home from a night out with friends. Being stone drunk, he decided he would take a short cut through the cemetery even though it was in the dead of the night. As he stumbled along muttering to himself, he unknowingly tripped over a mound of dirt and fell into an empty freshly dug grave. I'm sure you'll agree that being drunk and stuck in a 7 foot hole in the middle of the night in the cemetery is not a good situation. The man began to shout for help but no one could hear him because it was the middle of the night and even then people did not usually pass that way at that hour. The man decided his fate for the night was sealed, so he huddled into a corner and fell asleep. A few moments later another man decided he’d take a short cut through the graveyard. Just like his drunk predecessor, he too fell into the same grave. The second man began to dust himself off and in pitch darkness tried to get himself out but with no success. All the while the first drunk sat in the corner unnoticed. Eventually the second man decided he’d shout for help and just as he let out his first call, the drunk in the corner thought to let his fellow companion know that it was in vain to call for help. So he said, “No one can hear you and no one is coming, you’ll have to lie in here with me.” I couldn’t describe what followed, but that second man leapt out of that grave so quick and ran faster than you can imagine.
I think getting out of a rut sometimes requires intentional shocks to our system. Like that first drunk, we can either decide to huddle in the corner and sleep it out, or like the second man we can allow ourselves to be jolted out. Being stuck in a rut is something that can be resolved by doing something you’ve never done before concerning that situation. Don’t be afraid to do stuff that scares you. Sometimes the things that frighten us may actually be the key to the desired change in our lives. When God told Gideon that he would lead an army, Gideon was stuck in a rut. His life consisted of hiding from those who sought his life. Yet God instructed Gideon to get up and face what he feared. Moses went through the same paces. He was stuck in a rut in the desert working for his father in law and running away from Pharoah. He had to face that which frightened him the most. How amazing is that. The things that scare you the most could very well be the things that hold the key to your life purpose…but only if you face it. Face it even when you’re full of fear, just face it. I’m sure you’ve heard this statement, “Bravery/boldness/courage is not the absence of fear, but it is the decision to face danger despite the presence of fear.” Don’t miss out on who you could become because you feel you’re stuck. No matter the situation and no matter the fears, face it and STAND YOUR GROUND.
