In a Pickle

You're on first and the batter hits a line drive out into the outfield; you run make it to second and begin the journey to third, only to see the ball, thrown from the outfield, caught by the third baseman. With enough time to stop, you turn around, darting back to second while the ball is thrown over your head directly to the second baseman! Again, you stop your momentum and swivel back around towards third. You are in a pickle.


Sometimes life feels like that, trapped in a pickle. Running back and forth between two options, not sure which one is going to make you safe, or which one may take you out. 


When the angel of the Lord came to Mary, she was "troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be" (Luke 1:29). Well duh... Who wouldn't be afraid of an angel from God coming to speak to them? And moreover, the words that the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary would've frightened the socks off anybody! "I am doing what? Bearing the son of the living God?!?" But instead, Mary spoke calmly, complacently, and with confidence: "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her" (Luke 1:38). In saying this and accepting this situation, Mary, betrothed to Joseph at this time, risked embarrassment, harassment, and even being ostracized from her family and community. 


Now she was in a pickle.


How was she supposed to handle this? How was she supposed to tell her family? Tell Joseph? Everyone, including Joseph, was going to (and did) think that she betrayed Joseph by making love to another man. "Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly" (Matt 1:19). Amidst all of this, she never lost sight of the direction she had to run towards. The direction that she knew would bring her safely to the next base. Throughout the struggles that she, joseph, and her family faced during her pregnancy, she never stopped running towards God.


46"And Mary said:
   'My soul glorifies the Lord
    ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 ⁴⁸for he has been mindful
      of the humble state of his servant.
   From now on all generations will call me blessed,
    ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
      holy is his name.
 ⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear him,
      from generation to generation.
 ⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
      he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
 ⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones
      but has lifted up the humble.
 ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things
      but has sent the rich away empty.
 ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
      remembering to be merciful
 ⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever,
      even as he said to our fathers.'" (Luke 1:46-55)


We all face these decisions in life: which way do we go, which way do we turn to, what's the right decision, and on and on, we struggle with these questions (maybe not the magnitude of Mary's dilemma, but relative to what we know, they're perty tough Q's!). Further more, we've all tried to solve them by ourselves, and wound up choosing the wrong base to run to, only to hear the dreadful: "Yoooou're Ouuuut!" 


When it all comes down to it, the only way out of a pickle is turning to God. (While this may seem elementary, we ALL need a little reminder every now and again...) Does this mean that no matter what, God'll take you the easiest route? No not at all. You may have to run back and forth between 2nd and 3rd base a whole lot before you make it to one base safely. But I guarantee that the final base will be safe, as long as God's the deciding factor. And by "safe," I don't mean: comfortable, completely happy, carefree, etc. But it will be "safe" in God's mind. Safe in that no matter what, He is right there alongside of you, fighting the spiritual battle for you, and saving you from all your sins.


So, before I continue to blab on and on, allow Him to help you out of pickles. Trust him with all of your heart, mind, strength and soul, and He will surely bring you home safely.