Slick Spot!

February 22, 2024

Slick Spots!

Last Friday, we had an appointment to have the oil changed on our vehicle.  When we left the service department, we were met by a combination of mist and light snow. 

Although the cars in the lot were covered with a thin layer of ice, the streets were, for the most part, ice-free.  Please hear “for the most part” the streets were ice-free!  There were some spots that were slick and other spots that were getting slick.

I am pretty confident about my driving on slick streets.  However, I am much less confident in the driving skills of other people.  My response was to leave lots of room in front and behind our vehicle as we made our way home.

I was happy there were no incidents of “slip sliding away” (a reference to the song “Slip Slidin’ Away” by Paul Simon).  I was relieved because I remembered other occasions when brakes and steering wheels made little to no difference in the speed and direction the vehicle was heading.

It is a helpless feeling when you hit a slick spot while driving and no longer have any control.  If that feeling of helplessness continues very long, it is easy to lose hope things will get any better any time soon.  Sometimes dread, fear, and anxiety rise up inside of us.  Sometimes panic, desperation, and tension seem to over take us.

A couple of years ago, I was walking on a sidewalk towards my doctor’s office.  There had been a few inches of snow a couple days before, but now the temperature was comfortable and the sun was shining.  The sidewalk appeared to be dry so I was probably less cautious than I needed to be.

I never saw any ice and I don’t even remember slipping.  But in a flash, I fell and found myself laying on the sidewalk.  It was so fast and I felt so helpless.  I popped up off the ground as quickly as I could and looked around to make sure no one witnessed my fall.  I was embarrassed! 

When I saw that all was clear, I looked back at the slick spot.  It was very difficult to see that there was a very thin coat of ice about one foot wide on the walkway.    

The slick road last Friday afternoon was a reminder that there are slick spots we know are coming.  The slick sidewalk a couple of years ago was a reminder that there are slick spots we never see coming.  Both are equally dangerous. 

There are times when we encounter slick spots on a street or on a sidewalk.  There are also times when we encounter a slick spot in life.  Consider a couple of statements from the Bible.

In I Corinthians 10:12 the Apostle Paul writes; “So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.”  Sometimes our self-reliance and pride cause a slick spot that causes us fall.

In Psalm 7:15 we hear; “They make a pit, digging it out, and fall into the hole that they have made.”  Sometimes the things in which we have invested our time and energy can cause a slick spot that causes us to fall.

In John 16:1 Jesus says; “I have said these things to you to keep you from falling away.”  Even in our spiritual life, there are times when a slick spot appears in our relationship with Jesus that causes us fall away from the Lord.

The good news is there are two sources of help when we encounter a slick spot.  In Ecclesiastes 4:10 we hear; “For if they fall, one will lift up the other, but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.” 

We can help one another when we hit a slick spot in life.  Most of us have experienced a slippery spot in life; a relationship that is stressed, a temptation that is recurring, a drifting away that is subtle.  Maybe you know someone who has hit a slick spot.  Could Jesus be calling you to help them through this difficult season?

The second source of help when we encounter a slick spot is Jesus.  In Psalm 118:13 we hear; “I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.”  Jesus will help us when we hit a slick spot.  Sometimes Jesus will help us to see the slick spot coming ahead if we have eyes to see.  Often Jesus will offer us a word of caution if we have the ears to hear. 

There are other times when Jesus will catch me just as I am falling.  In Psalm 145:14 we hear; “The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.”  Sometimes Jesus helps me put things back together after I have fallen or failed.  Jesus will deliver me from much of the pain and suffering I encounter in life.

One of my favorite promises of God is found in the Psalms.  In Psalm 37:24 we hear; “…though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.”  Jesus holds you and me by the hand when we are beginning to slip and slide as well as when we fall and fail.  Maybe you know someone who has hit a slick spot.  Could Jesus be calling you to share that Jesus is eager to help them through this difficult season?

There are many times when I hit a slick spot and am already on my way to a hard fall when Jesus reaches out His hand and grabs hold of me.  I may feel like I am going down hard.  But before the worst I can imagine happens, Jesus takes me by the hand and leads me to a good place…a place close to His heart.

Knowing Jesus will take me by the hand when I hit a slick spot in life becomes my help and my hope.  When I know Jesus is reaching out His hand to me, my heart is filled with delight rather than dread. 

I encourage you to reach out to a friend who has hit a slick spot. And, I invite you to reach out your hand to take hold of the hand Jesus is offering you.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug