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Feb 18, 2025 06:00am

Rescued

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When that truck topped the hill, I knew it would be bad.

I was driving home from work years ago, and the curves and hills leaving the TV station can be dangerous. There’s a curve to the left on a hill in one particular spot. I was making the curve and saw the UPS truck begin to top the hill.

And he was on my side of the road.

It was going to be a head-on collision!

I yanked the steering wheel to the right, and he narrowly missed me. My little car went into the ditch. My first thought was, “Whew! I’m alive! That was close!” But then, I quickly realized the trouble I was in.

I had to get this car moved and quickly. If anyone else came over that hill and curve, they would hit my back end. I wasn’t completely out of the road.

So, I put it in reverse and pushed the gas.

But I went nowhere.

While today was nice, it had been raining just days before, and the ground was muddy.

And my tires were spinning.

I tried it again – drive, reverse, drive, reverse – but I was stuck no matter what gear I put it in.

I was utterly helpless. There was nothing I could do. I began thinking about who I could call. Who could help me? And that’s when the panic set in. The fear that no one would answer when I called. Scenarios played out in my mind about me opening my door and stepping out onto the road only to get hit.

I was terrified!

Movement caught my eye, and I looked up. It was like a knight in shining armor on his white horse coming to rescue the damsel in distress. Actually, it was Ed Way on his tractor. He was outside his home, saw the incident, and grabbed his chains to rescue me. We never even exchanged words. I just sat there, watching in amazement, as he hooked up my car and began pulling me to safety. He got me to a flat spot just a little way up ahead, unhooked my car, flashed me his million-dollar smile, and waved me goodbye. He rode off on that tractor and headed back home.

Every time I saw Ed at Jonesboro events, we recounted how he rescued me. If you were blessed to know Ed, you know this probably wasn’t the first rescue.

Romans 5:6-8
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

Utterly helpless. That’s who we are apart from Christ—stuck in the ditch. No way out. No matter what gear we try to put it in, we can’t do anything to save ourselves. We are trapped in our fear, our worry, our sins.

And this is the part that wrecks me 100 times over. Jesus didn’t ask for my help at all. He knew my sins, and He chose to die for me WHILE I was in sin. I was worse than just a girl stuck in the ditch.

I was covered in mud. My sin and shame had dragged me to the deepest part of the ocean with no breath in my lungs. Dead. Hopeless. Destined for Hell.

And that’s the moment Jesus chose to die for me. Not the girl who has it together. Not the one who is smooth sailing down the road. But the utterly helpless me.

And when we realize that, when we get to that moment and recognize who He is – the Savior, the Light of the World, our Redeemer – we see His offer of salvation.

He rides up to us on a beautiful white horse, reaches out his hand, and says follow me.

Do you need a rescue? The hand of Jesus is stretched out. You simply have to accept His offer. Choose to follow Him.

Let me show you. Go to follow.lifeword.org. Find hope in Christ today.