ESCAPE: Five-Minute Friday

When Things Go Wrong and It Looks Hopeless

There are several ways to respond to life’s unexpected disappointments, troubles, and even disasters. For those who understand that God is both sovereign and loving, these things may bring pain we wish we could avoid. Sometimes, I do things that create my own set of trouble and frustrations. I then look for ways to escape or reduce the pain and consequences.

When I saw this week’s word, the only thing I could think of was our 2020 Ford Escape. I did not want to write about our car, so I set this FMF task aside thinking I would skip it this week. Then, on Monday, as I was leaving the Pastor Theologian Collective seminar at Hillcrest Bible Church in Oregon, Wisconsin, I discovered the Escape would not start. The message on the console was, “Full Accessory Power Active.” I had no idea what that meant, so I looked it up on the internet. That certainly did not help.

I checked the owner’s manual. Again, there was no help to be found in that hefty manual. I called the Middleton Ford dealership and learned that the message could mean a number of different things. The dealer repair shop suggested that I reach out to Ford Roadside Assistance.

Because I have the Ford Pass app on my iPhone, I tried to open it. The iPhone wanted to update the app, but it said it could not update it. So I couldn’t use the app. Finally, I tried calling the toll-free number to see if they could send someone to my location to jump the car. It looked more-and-more like there would be no other way to escape.

When Help Arrived

I was not anxious, but I certainly hoped that the roadside assistance would be able to start my car. We tried several times, and nothing seemed to work. The battery jump made no difference, and I kept seeing the message “Full Accessory Power Active.” What was it trying to tell me?

Finally, the man who came to help leaned in and noticed that the dial that is used to put the Escape in gear was set to “R.” I shifted the control to “P” and the Escape started. There was nothing wrong with the battery, the problem was the operator.

A Life Lesson

Far too often we think our problems are caused by someone or something else. We want to escape. There are certainly times this is true. The reality, however, is that often we create our own mess due to willful obstinance or stubbornness or due to neglect and forgetfulness. We also all sin. Often our sin is subtle and hard to spot. But God doesn’t miss it and we cannot escape from his corrective action, from the consequences, and from the discipline he gives. A follower of Jesus is most grateful for this. It is best not to escape, but to believe him, knowing he is both sovereign and loving.

How to Identify a Follower of Jesus

God is the one who provides his servants with hearts that yearn for others to escape from the snare of the devil. That is my prayer for my readers. “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26

Five Minute Friday

This post is part of the weekly Five-Minute Friday link-up.

All scripture passages are from the English Standard Version except as otherwise noted.